The FBI and U.S. Department of Justice arrested former U.S. Air Force officer Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., 65, also known by his call sign “Runner,” in Jeffersonville, Indiana, on February 25, 2026, charging him with providing and conspiring to provide unauthorized defense services to Chinese military pilots in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).
Brown, a former F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot with over two decades of experience flying U.S. military aircraft including command of units responsible for nuclear weapons delivery systems and instruction on fighters like the F-4, F-15, F-16, and A-10 Warthog was accused of willfully conspiring since at least August 2023 with foreign nationals and U.S. persons to deliver combat aircraft training to pilots of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). This training qualifies as a defense service under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), requiring a license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), which Brown lacked.
According to the criminal complaint, Brown arranged contract terms through a co-conspirator negotiating with Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national previously convicted in 2016 for conspiring to hack U.S. defense contractors and steal sensitive military data. He served nearly four years in prison and remains on the U.S. Commerce Department’s Entity List. Brown traveled to China in December 2023, where on his first day he fielded three hours of questions about the U.S. Air Force and presented a self-briefing to PLAAF personnel the next day. He continued training activities there until returning to the U.S. in early February 2026.
Brown appeared before a Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Indiana on February 26, 2026, following his arrest. Officials emphasized the national security breach, with Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg stating the U.S. Air Force had entrusted Brown with elite status only for him to allegedly train adversaries. FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky highlighted China’s exploitation of former U.S. service members to advance its military, warning of relentless pursuit against such collaborators.
This case parallels prior actions, including charges against former Marine pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan in 2017 for similar unauthorized training, including carrier takeoff and landing tactics for Chinese pilots. Duggan was arrested in Australia in 2022 and faces extradition. The arrest underscores ongoing U.S. efforts to safeguard military expertise amid heightened strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, where advanced pilot training directly impacts air combat readiness and deterrence.
The incident raises concerns over the vulnerability of retired military personnel to foreign recruitment, particularly in sensitive domains like fighter operations, where leaked tactics could erode U.S. advantages in potential conflicts. Authorities continue investigating co-conspirators and related networks to prevent further unauthorized transfers of defense knowledge.