Former USAF Pilot Arrested For Providing Defense Training To Chinese Military
A former U.S. Air Force officer once entrusted with some of America’s most advanced military aircraft now faces federal charges that strike at the heart of national security.
Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., 65 — known by the call sign “Runner” — was arrested in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and charged with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). Brown is scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Indiana on February 26, 2026.
Federal authorities allege that Brown, a decorated former fighter pilot and instructor, willfully trained pilots from China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) beginning in or around August 2023. According to the criminal complaint, the training constituted a “defense service” under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), requiring a license from the U.S. State Department — one Brown allegedly never obtained.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg underscored the gravity of the charges. “The United States Air Force trained Major Brown to be an elite fighter pilot and entrusted him with the defense of our Nation,” he said. “When U.S. persons provide training to a foreign military, that activity is illegal unless they have a license from the State Department.”
Brown’s military résumé is extensive. Over a 24-year Air Force career, he rose to the rank of Major and flew some of the most formidable aircraft in the U.S. arsenal, including the F-4 Phantom II, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and A-10 Thunderbolt II. He later served as a simulator instructor on the A-10 and the cutting-edge F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter for U.S. defense contractors.
Prosecutors allege that in 2023, Brown began negotiating terms to train Chinese pilots through intermediaries, including Stephen Su Bin — a Chinese national previously convicted in the United States for conspiring to hack major U.S. defense contractors and steal sensitive military data for China. Su Bin was sentenced to nearly four years in prison and placed on the Commerce Department’s Entity List.
According to the complaint, Brown explicitly stated his intent to instruct Chinese military pilots in combat aircraft operations. In December 2023, he traveled to China and allegedly began work, spending hours answering questions about U.S. Air Force operations and presenting briefings to PLAAF personnel. He reportedly remained in China until returning to the United States in early February 2026.
FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky described the alleged conduct as a betrayal. “The Chinese government continues to exploit the expertise of current and former members of the U.S. armed forces to modernize China’s military capabilities,” he said.