A retired Air Force major and former F-35 simulator instructor was arrested on charges of training Chinese military pilots.
Prosecutors say the training violated U.S. arms export laws and required State Department authorization.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about China recruiting Western military expertise.
A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and contract F-35 instructor has been arrested and charged with illegally training Chinese military aviators — a case federal officials say poses serious national security concerns. According to an article written by Thomas Newdick at The War Zone, the allegations are particularly alarming given the former officer’s experience connected to the highly sensitive F-35 program.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that retired Air Force Maj. Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., 65, was arrested in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and charged by criminal complaint with providing — and conspiring to provide — defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act.
Brown, a former combat pilot who used the callsign “Runner,” served more than 24 years in the Air Force. During his career, he flew and instructed on multiple aircraft, including the F-4, F-15, F-16, and A-10. After leaving active duty in 1996, he later worked as a contract simulator instructor, training U.S. pilots on the F-35 Lightning II and A-10.
Federal prosecutors allege that beginning around August 2023, Brown agreed to train pilots from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The arrangement was reportedly negotiated by Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national previously convicted of conspiring to hack U.S. defense contractors.
According to court documents, Brown traveled to China in December 2023 and began providing instruction to Chinese military aviators. The training allegedly fell under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which require U.S. citizens to obtain State Department authorization before providing military training to foreign governments.
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg said the Air Force “entrusted him with the defense of our Nation,” while FBI Counterintelligence officials described the alleged actions as a betrayal that could endanger U.S. service members.
The case follows similar prosecutions, including that of former Marine Corps pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan, who was arrested in Australia in 2022 and is pending extradition to the United States on related charges.
Security experts note the potential sensitivity of Brown’s F-35 instructional background. Although he did not fly the stealth jet operationally, simulation training systems can contain sensitive tactical and operational insights. China has long sought advanced aerospace knowledge and has developed its own stealth fighter, the J-35, amid broader modernization of its airpower capabilities.
Brown is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate judge. The charges remain allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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