By A retired Air Force fighter pilot once entrusted with flying America’s most advanced aircraft now stands accused of training the very military Washington views as its foremost strategic rival.
Federal authorities on Wednesday arrested Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., 65, a former U.S. Air Force major and onetime F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot, charging him with illegally providing combat training to pilots from China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The arrest took place in Jeffersonville, Indiana, according to the Department of Justice.
Brown — known by his military call sign “Runner” — is charged with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military aviators without authorization, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act. He is scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Indiana on February 26, according to Fox News.
BREAKING: 🇺🇸🇨🇳 A United States Air Force officer and former F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot, Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., has been arrested for allegedly training Chinese military pilots to fight against the U.S., according to The Hill. pic.twitter.com/FLx31Z19C7
— War Radar (@War_Radar2) February 26, 2026
At the center of the case is the F-35 Lightning II, the Pentagon’s premier fifth-generation fighter and a cornerstone of U.S. air superiority strategy. According to a criminal complaint, Brown began conspiring as early as August 2023 with foreign nationals and U.S. persons to deliver unauthorized combat aircraft training to PLAAF pilots. Under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), such instruction constitutes a regulated “defense service” requiring a license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Prosecutors say Brown never obtained one.
Authorities allege that Brown traveled to China in December 2023 to begin the training. On his first day, he reportedly fielded three hours of questions about U.S. Air Force operations. The following day, he delivered a presentation about himself to PLAAF personnel. He remained in China until returning to the United States in early February 2026.
Brown’s Air Force résumé spans more than two decades. Before retiring as a major in 1996, he flew and instructed on a range of combat aircraft, including the F-4 Phantom II, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and A-10 Thunderbolt II. He also commanded units responsible for nuclear weapons delivery systems and led combat missions. After leaving active duty, 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.
“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,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg in a statement.
FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the Counterintelligence and Espionage Division added: “Gerald Brown, a former F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot with decades of experience flying U.S. 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 U.S. armed forces to modernize China’s military capabilities.”
The case underscores long-running U.S. concerns that Beijing seeks to accelerate its military modernization by recruiting or contracting Western-trained pilots and defense specialists. American officials have repeatedly warned that former service members remain bound by export control laws even after retirement.
If convicted, Brown faces substantial prison time and financial penalties under the Arms Export Control Act. The FBI led the investigation with assistance from other federal partners.
As with all criminal cases, the charges are allegations. Brown is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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