Ex-Air Force Pilot Arrested, Charged With Training Chinese Military Pilots

Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that 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. He is accused of providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).

The charges were filed by criminal complaint, and Brown made his initial court appearance before a Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Indiana on Thursday.

Brown served over 24 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring from active duty in 1996 with the rank of Major. During his career, he commanded units responsible for nuclear weapons delivery systems, led combat missions, and worked as a fighter pilot instructor and simulator instructor on aircraft including the F-4 Phantom II, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and A-10 Thunderbolt II, according to a Justice Department press release.

After leaving the military, Brown worked as a commercial cargo pilot and, more recently, as a contract simulator instructor for U.S. defense contractors, training pilots on the A-10 and F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., 65

According to the criminal complaint, Brown allegedly conspired with foreign nationals and U.S. persons starting in or around August 2023 to provide combat aircraft training to pilots in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). This training qualifies as a defense service under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and Brown, as a U.S. citizen, did not obtain the required license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) to provide it to foreign persons or military units.

Prosecutors explained that Brown used a co-conspirator to negotiate contract terms with Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national who pleaded guilty in 2016 to conspiring to hack into U.S. defense contractors’ networks and steal sensitive data. Su Bin served nearly four years in prison and was added to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List in 2014.

In his resume for the position, Brown stated his objective as “Instructor Fighter Pilot.”

Communications included statements from Brown expressing intent to train PRC military pilots in combat aircraft operations. In one instance, Brown told a co-conspirator, “Now…. I have the chance to fly and instruct fighter pilots again!”

In December 2023, Brown traveled to China to begin the training. On his first day there, he spent three hours answering questions about the U.S. Air Force.

The following day, he prepared and presented a brief about himself to the PLAAF. Brown remained in China until early February 2026, when he returned to the United States.

“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. When U.S. 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.”

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office, with assistance from other FBI offices and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. The investigation remains ongoing as of this report.

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