DefenseFormer USAF F-35 instructor pilot arrested for allegedly training Chinese military pilots
The U.S. Department of Justice has arrested and charged a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot with illegally providing defense services to China’s military, in a case tied to Beijing’s efforts to recruit Western military expertise.
Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., 65, a former F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot and retired Air Force major, was arrested in Jeffersonville, Indiana, on February 25. He faces charges of providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).
According to the criminal complaint, Brown began negotiating in August 2023 to train pilots from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The Justice Department alleges that the training constituted a defense service under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and required a license from the U.S. State Department, which Brown did not obtain.
Prosecutors say Brown worked through intermediaries and communicated with Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national previously convicted in the United States for conspiring to hack into the networks of major U.S. defense contractors. Su Bin served nearly four years in prison and was added to the U.S. Commerce Department’s Entity List in 2014.
Brown allegedly traveled to China in December 2023 to begin training PLAAF personnel and remained there until returning to the United States in early February 2026. Upon arrival in China, he reportedly answered questions about the U.S. Air Force and delivered a briefing to Chinese military personnel.
Brown served more than 24 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring in 1996 with the rank of major. During his career, he commanded units responsible for nuclear weapons delivery systems and flew multiple combat aircraft, including the F-4 Phantom II, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II. After leaving active duty, he worked as a commercial cargo pilot and later as a contract simulator instructor training U.S. military pilots on the A-10 and F-35.
U.S. officials have warned in recent years that China has sought to recruit current and former Western military personnel, particularly pilots, to enhance the PLA’s aviation capabilities. In 2024, the United States and several allied governments issued a joint bulletin stating that China continued targeting Western military professionals to support the modernization of its armed forces.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Brown is expected to make his initial court appearance in the Southern District of Indiana. If convicted, he faces penalties under the AECA, which governs the export of U.S. defense articles and services.
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