'Elite' US Air Force fighter pilot accused of secretly training Chinese pilots

Former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. is accused of allegedly training Chinese military pilots overseas.

An ex "elite" United States Air Force fighter pilot has been arrested and accused of secretly training Chinese military pilots for combat missions overseas, federal prosecutors said.

Former U.S. Air Force officer and pilot Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., also known by the call sign "Runner," was arrested in Jefferson, Indiana on Feb. 26 in connection to allegations he taught members of the country's foreign military overseas, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in a news release.

Brown, 65, was charged with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), officials said. The overseas training took place over a more than two-year period that began around August 2023, when officials said Brown "willfully conspired with foreign nationals and U.S. persons to provide combat aircraft training to pilots in the Chinese Air Force," also called the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).

"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," Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a statement. "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."

Brown was set to appear for his first court appearance in the Southern District of Indiana on Feb. 26.