Former US Air Force F-35 Pilot Arrested for Allegedly Training Chinese Military Aviators
In a significant national security development, Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., a 65-year-old former US Air Force officer and F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot, was arrested on Wednesday in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He is accused of providing unauthorized defense services to the Chinese military, a serious violation of US law.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Brown has been charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to provide and providing defense services to Chinese military pilots without the required authorization, breaching the US Arms Export Control Act (AECA). He is scheduled to make his initial appearance before a Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Indiana on Thursday, February 26.
The arrest was announced by FBI Director Kash Patel on social media platform X, who highlighted it as a "major story" involving the FBI and partners apprehending a former US Air Force pilot allegedly engaged in training Chinese military personnel.
Details of the Allegations
According to a statement from the US Department of Justice, Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division asserted that Brown, with decades of experience flying US military aircraft, "allegedly betrayed his country by training Chinese pilots to fight against those he swore to protect."
Rozhavsky emphasized that the Chinese government persistently exploits the expertise of current and former US armed forces members to enhance its military capabilities. He warned that the FBI and its partners are committed to holding accountable those who collaborate with adversaries, thereby endangering US service members and national security.
Investigations reveal that since at least August 2023, Brown conspired with both foreign nationals and US persons to deliver combat aircraft training to pilots of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). This training is classified as a "defense service" under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). As a US person under ITAR, Brown was obligated to secure a license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) before offering such training to foreign military personnel. Prosecutors allege he operated without this necessary authorization.
Training Activities in China
In December 2023, Brown traveled to China to commence training PLAAF pilots. On his initial day, he reportedly spent three hours answering queries about the US Air Force, followed by a personal briefing to the Chinese military on the second day. He remained in China until returning to the United States in early February 2026.
Brown allegedly arranged the terms of his training contract through a co-conspirator who negotiated with Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national previously convicted in the US for hacking into major US defense contractors and stealing sensitive military data for China. Su Bin pleaded guilty in 2016 and received a nearly four-year prison sentence, with his company, PRC Lode Technology Company, added to the US Commerce Department’s Entity List in 2014.
Evidence and Intent
The criminal complaint cites Brown’s explicit intent to train Chinese military pilots. In a résumé, he listed his objective as "Instructor Fighter Pilot." Prosecutors referenced messages where a co-conspirator expressed hope that Brown would be assigned to "my base, but otherwise you’ll go where is the local equivalent as the [US Air Force] Weapon School." Brown later wrote: "Now…. I have the chance to fly and instruct fighter pilots again!"
Official Statements and Legal Context
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg stated, "The United States Air Force trained Major Brown to be an elite fighter pilot and entrusted him with the defense of our Nation. He now stands charged with training Chinese military pilots."
Eisenberg added that providing training to a foreign military by US persons, whether military or civilian, is illegal without a State Department license. He affirmed that the National Security Division will utilize all available tools to safeguard US military advantages and prosecute AECA violators.
Investigation and Related Cases
The case is under investigation by the FBI’s New York Field Office, with support from its Louisville, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles offices, as well as the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
This arrest follows similar allegations against former US Marine Corps pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan, charged in 2017 with providing unauthorized defense services to Chinese military pilots and conspiracy to commit international money laundering. Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 and is currently awaiting extradition to the United States.
Background on Gerald Eddie Brown Jr.
Brown served over 24 years in the US Air Force, retiring as a Major in 1996. His distinguished career included commanding sensitive units responsible for nuclear weapons delivery systems, leading combat missions, and serving as a fighter pilot and simulator instructor.
He piloted advanced aircraft such as the F-4 "Phantom II," F-15 "Eagle," F-16 "Fighting Falcon," and A-10 "Thunderbolt II" (Warthog). Post-retirement, he worked as a commercial cargo pilot and later as a contract simulator instructor for US defense contractors, training American military pilots on the A-10 and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
