By Luke, Vision Times
A former U.S. Air Force officer and fighter pilot has been arrested and charged with illegally providing defense services to Chinese military personnel, according to a Feb. 25 announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., 65, a U.S. citizen and retired Air Force major known by the nickname “Runner,” was taken into custody in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Prosecutors allege that Brown conspired to train Chinese military pilots without authorization, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). He is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in the Southern District of Indiana on Feb. 26.
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Sharpening America’s military edge
John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, said Brown had once been entrusted with safeguarding the nation. “The United States Air Force trained Major Brown to be an elite fighter pilot and entrusted him with the solemn duty to defend our nation,” said Eisenberg, adding, “Now, he stands accused of providing training to the Chinese military. Whether military or civilian, U.S. citizens who provide training to foreign militaries without a license from the State Department are breaking the law. The National Security Division will use every available tool to protect our military advantage.”
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Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, emphasized Brown’s background as a former F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot.
“Gerald Brown once served as an instructor pilot for the F-35 ‘Lightning II’ fighter jet and accumulated decades of experience flying U.S. military aircraft,” Rozhavsky said. “He is now charged with betraying that trust by training Chinese pilots to fight against the very forces he once swore to defend. The Chinese government continues to exploit the expertise of current and former U.S. service members to advance its military capabilities.”
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Jeanine Ferris Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, added: “As an Air Force officer, Brown swore an oath to defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic. He violated that oath, jeopardizing the safety of our service members and our allies. We will hold Brown and anyone who conspires to harm our nation accountable.”
Lee M. Russ, Executive Director of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations’ Special Projects Office, described the alleged conduct as “a serious national security threat.”
Allegations of unauthorized training
According to the indictment, beginning around August 2023, Brown knowingly conspired with foreign nationals and U.S.-based individuals to provide combat aircraft training to Chinese Air Force pilots. Under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), such training constitutes a “defense service.” As a U.S. person under ITAR, Brown was required to obtain authorization from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) before providing such services.
Prosecutors allege Brown negotiated training contracts through an intermediary and communicated with Chinese national Stephen Su Bin, who pleaded guilty in 2016 in the Central District of California to hacking U.S. defense contractors’ networks and stealing sensitive military data for the People’s Republic of China. Su and his company, PRC Lode Technology Company, were placed on the U.S. Commerce Department’s Entity List in 2014.
In communications cited by prosecutors, Brown allegedly expressed his intention to provide operational combat aircraft instruction to Chinese military personnel. After traveling to China in December 2023, he reportedly spent his first day answering questions about the U.S. Air Force for three hours and later delivered an introductory briefing to members of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Authorities say he remained in China until returning to the United States in early February 2026.
Extensive military background
Brown served more than 24 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a major in 1996. During his career, he commanded sensitive units responsible for nuclear weapons delivery systems and served as an instructor pilot and simulator instructor for multiple aircraft, including the F-4 Phantom II, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and A-10 Thunderbolt II.
After retirement, he worked as a commercial cargo pilot and later as a contract simulator instructor for U.S. defense contractors, training American pilots on the A-10 and F-35.
Brown’s case mirrors earlier charges against former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan, who was indicted in 2017 for allegedly providing unauthorized defense services to Chinese military pilots and engaging in international money laundering. Duggan was arrested in Australia in 2022 and is awaiting extradition.
In June 2024, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand jointly warned that the PLA was actively recruiting current and former NATO service members to enhance China’s military capabilities. In February 2025, Gen. James B. Hecker, then commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa, stated: “Once you have flown on our team, even after you take off the uniform, you still have a responsibility to protect our tactics, techniques, and procedures.”
The FBI’s New York Field Office led the investigation, with assistance from offices in Louisville, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles, as well as the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. If convicted, Brown faces significant federal penalties under export control laws designed to protect U.S. military expertise and technological advantages.
