WASHINGTON, Feb 26 - U.S. law enforcement officials have taken into custody Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., a retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who served as an instructor on the F-35 Lightning II and previously commanded units charged with responsibilities for nuclear weapons delivery systems. The Justice Department announced Wednesday that Brown was arrested in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and has been charged with "providing and conspiring to provide" defense services to pilots of China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
According to the department, Brown, 65, began negotiating the terms of an agreement to train Chinese military pilots around August 2023 with Su Bin, a Chinese national who in 2016 was sentenced to four years in a U.S. prison after conspiring to hack into computer networks belonging to Boeing and other major U.S. defense contractors. The Justice Department statement says Brown traveled to China in December 2023 and remained there before returning to the United States in February.
In announcing the arrest, FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the Counterintelligence and Espionage Division stated that Brown had "betrayed his country by training Chinese pilots to fight against those he swore to protect." The department’s announcement framed the matter in the context of what it described as Beijing’s ongoing effort to modernize its armed forces by siphoning off U.S. secrets.
China’s embassy in Washington declined to comment on the case.
The arrest comes as the White House prepares for a forthcoming meeting between President Donald Trump and China’s leader Xi Jinping. The administration has sought to lower tensions in a trade dispute between the two countries, even as the Justice Department and other agencies have pointed to an intensifying military and technological rivalry.
U.S. and allied officials have warned that Chinese authorities have actively recruited current and former Western military personnel - including dozens of pilots - to instruct PLA aviators on countering Western air combat tactics. These recruitment efforts, officials say, often employ lucrative contracts and opportunities to fly advanced or unusual Chinese aircraft as inducements.
In 2023 the U.S. Commerce Department imposed sanctions on more than a dozen companies across multiple countries for their roles in recruiting Western military talent for PLA aviation training. The sanctions targeted firms in China, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, according to the Justice Department's statement.
Authorities have characterized the matter as part of a broader competition between the United States and China in military and technological domains. The arrest of a former instructor with experience on the F-35 and prior command responsibilities that included nuclear delivery systems underscores the sensitivity of the allegations and the national security concerns raised by officials.
Federal prosecutors have charged Brown with crimes tied to the transfer of defense services to a foreign military. The Justice Department’s public account ties the alleged conduct to negotiation activities beginning in August 2023, the December travel to China, and his return to the United States in February.
Summary
The U.S. arrested Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., a former F-35 instructor and commander of units with nuclear delivery responsibilities, on charges of providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots. Investigators say Brown negotiated with convicted Chinese national Su Bin beginning in August 2023, traveled to China in December, and returned to the U.S. in February.
Key points
- Brown, 65, is accused of arranging to train PLA Air Force pilots and was arrested in Jeffersonville, Indiana, on charges of "providing and conspiring to provide" defense services.
- Negotiations with Su Bin reportedly began in August 2023; Su Bin was sentenced in 2016 for conspiring to hack into Boeing and other U.S. defense contractor networks.
- Sectors likely affected include defense and aerospace companies, and technology and cybersecurity firms tied to national security and supply chains due to concerns about recruitment and technology transfer.
Risks and uncertainties
- Ongoing recruitment of current and former Western military personnel by Chinese entities could increase risks to defense and aerospace firms if sensitive tactics or know-how are transferred.
- Sanctions and enforcement actions, such as those the Commerce Department imposed in 2023, introduce compliance and reputational risks for companies operating in or with firms across the listed countries.
- The unresolved nature of broader military and technological rivalry between the U.S. and China creates uncertainty for market participants in defense, aviation, and related technology sectors as policy responses evolve.