A former US Air Force officer and F-35 pilot, Gerald Eddie Brown Jr was arrested on Wednesday in Jeffersonville, Indiana for allegedly providing unauthorised defense services to Chinese military.
Brown, 65, has been charged by criminal complaint with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorisation in violation of the US Arms Export Control Act (AECA).
Brown is expected to make his initial appearance before a Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Indiana on February 26, Thursday.
FBI Director Kash Patel shared news of the arrest on X and stated, "Major story… the FBI and our partners have arrested a former US Air Force Pilot who was allegedly training pilots in the Chinese military."
According to a statement released by the US DOJ, Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division said that, "Gerald Brown, a former F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot with decades of experience flying US military aircraft, allegedly betrayed his country by training Chinese pilots to fight against those he swore to protect."
"The Chinese government continues to exploit the expertise of current and former members of the US armed forces to modernize China’s military capabilities. This arrest serves as a warning that the FBI and our partners will stop at nothing to hold accountable anyone who collaborates with our adversaries to harm our service members and jeopardize our national security," he further added.
Since at least August 2023, Brown conspired with foreign nationals and US persons to provide combat aircraft training to pilots in the Chinese Air Force, known as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
The training allegedly constituted a "defense service" under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
As a US person under ITAR, Brown was required to obtain a license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) before providing such training to foreign military personnel. Prosecutors say he did not have the required authorization.
In December 2023, Brown traveled to China to begin training PLAAF pilots.
On his first day there, he allegedly answered questions for three hours about the US Air Force, and on the second day presented a personal briefing to the Chinese military. He remained in China until returning to the United States in early February 2026.
Investigators say Brown arranged the terms of his training contract through a co-conspirator who negotiated with Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national previously convicted in the United States for hacking into major US defense contractors and stealing sensitive military data for China.
Su Bin pleaded guilty in 2016 and was sentenced to nearly four years in prison. He and his company, PRC Lode Technology Company, were added to the US Commerce Department’s Entity List in 2014.
According to the complaint, Brown openly expressed his intent to train Chinese military pilots. In a résumé he prepared, he listed his objective as "Instructor Fighter Pilot."
In messages cited by prosecutors, a co-conspirator told him he hoped 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!" the statement added.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg said in a statement said that "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."
"When US persons whether military or civilian provide training to a foreign military, that activity is illegal unless they have a license from the State Department. The National Security Division will use all tools at its disposal to protect our military advantages and hold to account those who would violate the AECA," Eisenberg added.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office, with assistance from its Louisville, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles offices. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations also provided support.
The charges against Brown follow similar allegations filed against former US Marine Corps pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan, who was 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.
Who is F-35 pilot Gerald Eddie Brown Jr?
Brown served more than 24 years in the US Air Force, retiring from active duty in 1996 with the rank of Major.
During his career, he commanded sensitive units responsible for nuclear weapons delivery systems, led combat missions, and served as a fighter pilot and simulator instructor.
He flew several advanced aircraft, including the F-4 "Phantom II," F-15 "Eagle," F-16 "Fighting Falcon," and A-10 "Thunderbolt II" (Warthog).
After leaving active duty, 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.