Former U.S. Air Force Pilot Arrested for Allegedly Training Chinese Military
Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., a 65-year-old former U.S. Air Force officer and pilot known by the call sign “Runner,” was arrested in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Brown faces charges by criminal complaint for allegedly providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization, a violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). His initial court appearance is scheduled for February 26, 2026, in the Southern District of Indiana.
Allegations Against "Runner"
According to Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, Major Brown, trained as an elite fighter pilot, is now accused of training Chinese military pilots.
U.S. law requires a State Department license for U.S. persons, military or civilian, to provide training to a foreign military.
Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division stated that Brown, a former F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot, allegedly trained Chinese pilots to act against U.S. interests. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia noted that Brown allegedly broke his oath as an Air Force Officer.
The complaint alleges that beginning around August 2023, Brown conspired with foreign nationals and U.S. persons to provide combat aircraft training to pilots of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). This training constitutes a defense service under the International Traffic and Arms Regulations (ITAR), and Brown, a U.S. person, reportedly lacked the necessary State Department license.
Brown's Military Background and Suspected Activities
Brown served over 24 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a Major in 1996. His distinguished military career included commanding units with nuclear weapons delivery responsibilities, leading combat missions, and serving as a fighter pilot instructor on aircraft such as the F-4, F-15, F-16, and A-10. After his military service, Brown worked as a commercial cargo pilot and later as a contract simulator instructor, training U.S. military pilots on the A-10 and F-35.
In August 2023, Brown allegedly began arranging his contract to train Chinese military pilots, utilizing a co-conspirator for negotiations with Stephen Su Bin.
Su Bin, a Chinese national, previously pleaded guilty in 2016 to conspiring to hack U.S. defense contractors and steal sensitive military data. Su Bin and his company, PRC Lode Technology Company, were added to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List in 2014.
Brown reportedly expressed his objective to train PRC military pilots in combat aircraft operations. He traveled to China in December 2023 to begin this work. During his time in China, he is said to have provided information about the U.S. Air Force and presented a brief for the PLAAF. He remained in China until early February 2026, when he traveled back to the United States.
Broader Context: Related Cases and Warnings
The charges against Brown follow a similar case against former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan, who was charged in September 2017 with providing unauthorized defense services to Chinese military pilots and conspiring to engage in international money laundering. Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 and awaits extradition.
In June 2024, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand issued a bulletin warning that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to target current and former military personnel from NATO nations and other Western countries to enhance the PLA’s capabilities.
In February 2025, Gen. James B. Hecker, then commander of NATO Allied Air Command and U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, stated that former service members have a responsibility to protect U.S. military tactics, techniques, and procedures.
Investigation and Prosecution
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office, with assistance from FBI offices in Louisville, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles, and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Prosecution is being handled by Trial Attorney Beau Barnes and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven B. Wasserman from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment, complaint, or criminal information represents an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.