Ex-U.S. Air Force Pilot Arrested for Training Chinese Military

Gerald Brown, a 65-year-old former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, was arrested in Indiana for allegedly training personnel of the Chinese military without proper authorization.

The U.S. Justice Department announced his arrest on Wednesday, detailing that Brown had recently returned from China in December 2023.

He is accused of conspiring with a foreign nation to provide combat aircraft training to Chinese Air Force pilots without the required license. Brown had a 24-year career in the U.S.

Air Force, serving in sensitive units responsible for nuclear weapon delivery systems and as a fighter pilot instructor. After retiring in 1996, he worked as a cargo pilot and later as a defense contractor, where he began negotiations in August 2023 to train Chinese pilots on advanced F-35 fighter jets.

The FBI, represented by Director Kash Patel, emphasized their commitment to holding accountable anyone collaborating with adversaries that jeopardize national security.