A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who once trained American servicemembers on advanced combat aircraft has been arrested for allegedly providing unauthorized training to Chinese military pilots, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
The Department of Justice said Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., known by the call sign “Runner,” was taken into custody in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and charged with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without government approval.
Prosecutors allege Brown violated the Arms Export Control Act, which strictly regulates the export of U.S. defense services and military technology and requires authorization before they can be shared with foreign governments or nationals.
“The United States Air Force trained Major Brown to be an elite fighter pilot and entrusted him with the defense of our Nation,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “When U.S. persons provide training to a foreign military, that activity is illegal unless they have a license from the State Department.”
According to court filings, Brown “willfully conspired” beginning around August 2023 to provide combat aircraft training to pilots in China’s military air force, formally known as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. Prosecutors say he did so without the required State Department license.
Brown served more than 24 years in the U.S. Air Force and left 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 flew or instructed on aircraft including the F-4, F-15, F-16, and A-10. After retiring from the military, he worked as a commercial cargo pilot and later as a contract simulator instructor training U.S. pilots on the A-10 and the F-35 Lightning II.
The complaint alleges Brown began negotiating a contract to train Chinese pilots through intermediaries connected to Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national previously convicted in the U.S. of conspiring to hack American defense contractors and steal sensitive military data.
In communications cited by prosecutors, Brown reportedly stated his intent to instruct Chinese pilots in combat aircraft operations and wrote that he was excited to “fly and instruct fighter pilots again” upon arriving in China.
Authorities say Brown traveled to China in December 2023 and spent months there training Chinese military pilots before returning to the United States earlier this month. While in China, he allegedly answered extensive questions about the U.S. Air Force and gave a personal presentation to members of the Chinese air force.
“As an Air Force officer, Brown took an oath to defend our Nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “He broke that oath and betrayed the country, jeopardizing the safety of our servicemembers and allies.”
The case follows similar charges against former Marine Corps pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan, who is accused of providing unauthorized training to Chinese military pilots and is currently awaiting extradition to the United States.
If convicted, Brown could face significant prison time for illegally transferring sensitive military knowledge to a foreign adversary.
