US F-35 Pilot Arrested for Training Chinese Air Force Personnel

Former Air Force Officer Arrested for Training Chinese Military Pilots

A former United States Air Force officer, Major Gerald Brown, has been arrested and charged with violating US laws related to defence services. The US Department of Justice announced the arrest on Wednesday in Indiana, stating that Brown had allegedly provided training to Chinese military pilots without proper authorization.

Brown, 65, served in the US Air Force for 24 years, including leading combat missions and commanding sensitive units involved in nuclear weapons delivery systems. After leaving the military in 1996, he worked as a commercial cargo pilot and later as a defence contractor, training US pilots to fly F-35 and A-10 warplanes.

According to the Justice Department, Brown travelled to China in December 2023 to begin his work training Chinese pilots, and remained in the country until returning to the US in early February 2026. His contract was negotiated by Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national who pleaded guilty to conspiring to hack a defence contractor in the US.

Brown faces charges similar to those levelled against former US Marine Corps pilot Daniel Duggan, who is currently fighting extradition back to the US for providing pilot training to the Chinese armed forces. The US Department of Justice has stated that Brown will be held accountable for his actions, and that anyone conspiring against the nation will face consequences.

The arrest serves as a warning from the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, which stated that China continues to exploit the expertise of current and former members of the US armed forces to modernize its military capabilities.

Source: Al Jazeera