Former US F-35 pilot arrested for allegedly training Chinese military pilots
Feb 27th 2026
Gerald Brown was arrested on February 26, 2026 and is accused by the Justice Department of illegally providing defense training to Chinese military pilots after a decadeslong US Air Force career.
- Gerald Brown, 65, a retired US Air Force major and former F-35 instructor known as Runner, was arrested in Indiana and charged in Washington, D.C. with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese pilots without authorization.
- The Justice Department says Brown served 24 years in the Air Force, led combat missions, and commanded units that included nuclear delivery responsibilities.
- Prosecutors allege Brown traveled to China in December 2023 to begin training Chinese pilots and returned to the United States in early February 2026.
- The contract that allegedly brought Brown to China was negotiated by Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national who pleaded guilty in 2016 to conspiring to steal US military secrets.
- The charges are similar to those brought against former Marine pilot Daniel Duggan, who was arrested in Australia in 2022 and is fighting extradition to the United States.
- The arrest follows a 2024 warning from the United States and allied partners that China is recruiting current and former Western military personnel to strengthen its armed forces.