Former U.S. Air Force Pilot Arrested for Secretly Training Chinese Military

A former officer of the United States Air Force has been arrested on charges of illegally and secretly providing advanced training to pilots of the Chinese military.

On Wednesday, February 25, 65-year-old former Major Gerald Brown was arrested in Indiana, according to confirmation from the United States Department of Justice. He faces specific allegations of conspiring to provide defense-related training to Chinese pilots without proper authorization.

Brown, described as an elite fighter pilot, previously served as an experienced instructor on the F-35 Lightning II and was known by the call sign “Runner” during his long military career. In a statement, Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of Counterintelligence and Espionage at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, characterized the case as a betrayal of the nation.

According to U.S. officials, Brown is accused of enhancing the combat capabilities of Chinese pilots against the very country he once swore to defend. Authorities say the arrest sends a strong warning amid ongoing concerns that China is attempting to modernize its military by leveraging the experience of current and former U.S. service members.

The Justice Department stated that Brown served 24 years in the Air Force, holding command positions in highly sensitive units, including responsibilities related to nuclear weapons operations and launch procedures. He retired from military service in 1996 and later began working in the private sector.

Investigators allege that Brown traveled to China in December 2023 and remained there until early February 2026, during which time he provided training to Chinese pilots. The training contract was reportedly brokered by Chinese national Stephen Su Bin, who previously served a four-year prison sentence for stealing U.S. defense information.

The case mirrors that of former U.S. Marine pilot Daniel Duggan, who was arrested in Australia in 2022 on similar allegations. Western defense agencies have long warned that China is actively recruiting former military personnel from NATO and allied nations in an effort to gain insight into Western tactics and operational strategies.

In 2024, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and two other allied nations issued a joint statement emphasizing that providing unauthorized military training to foreign armed forces poses a serious national security threat and could result in severe criminal penalties.