From training America’s elite pilots to allegedly coaching China’s air force — how did it come to this?
A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who once trained American servicemembers on advanced combat aircraft has been arrested and charged with illegally training Chinese military pilots, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., known by the call sign “Runner,” was taken into custody in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The Justice Department alleges he provided — and conspired to provide — defense services to China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) without required authorization from the U.S. State Department.
Prosecutors say Brown violated the Arms Export Control Act, which strictly regulates the transfer of U.S. military expertise, services and technology to foreign governments. Any such activity requires a license — one authorities say Brown did not obtain.
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg said Brown, once entrusted with defending the nation, now stands accused of helping train pilots from a foreign adversary. “When U.S. persons — whether military or civilian — provide training to a foreign military, that activity is illegal unless they have a license,” he said.
According to the criminal complaint, Brown began negotiating a contract in August 2023 to train Chinese fighter pilots. He allegedly worked through intermediaries connected to Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national previously convicted in the United States of conspiring to hack U.S. defense contractors.
Court documents state Brown traveled to China in December 2023 and remained there for months. After arriving, prosecutors say, he spent hours answering questions about U.S. Air Force operations and delivered presentations to members of the PLAAF. In communications cited by authorities, Brown reportedly expressed enthusiasm about returning to instruct fighter pilots.
Brown served more than two decades in the Air Force, flying and instructing on aircraft including the F-4, F-15, F-16 and A-10. After retiring as a major, he worked as a commercial pilot and later as a contract simulator instructor, including on the F-35 Lightning II.
If convicted, Brown faces significant prison time. His case follows a similar prosecution involving former Marine Corps pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan, accused of training Chinese military pilots in aircraft carrier operations.
The arrest underscores Washington’s growing concern over former U.S. military personnel allegedly transferring sensitive expertise to rival powers — and the legal consequences that can follow.
