Retired USAF Pilot Arrested for Training China’s PLAAF
The arrest of a retired USAF pilot for training the Chinese military shows a simple problem for allied airpower: Beijing can buy experience that took decades to build. US officials arrested Maj. Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. in Jeffersonville, Indiana, on February 25, 2026. According to a federal complaint, he gave “defense services” to Chinese military pilots without permission. The accusation is not a conviction, but the behavior being claimed aligns precisely with how the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) intends to use Western tactics.
The Allegations
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) says that Brown “provided and conspired to provide” defense services to Chinese military pilots. The Arms Export Control Act (AECA) says that US citizens usually need permission from the State Department to give regulated military training to a foreign military. So, prosecutors say that the behavior was an illegal export of services, not an awkward consulting job.
Federal papers also mention Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese citizen who in 2016 admitted to planning to hack major US defense contractors and steal sensitive military and export-controlled data. Prosecutors say that Brown’s group used a co-conspirator to talk to Su Bin while Brown kept saying he wanted to teach Chinese pilots how to fight.
Timeline: 2023–2026
The DOJ says that Brown started making plans by at least August 2023. He went to China in December 2023 to start working as a teacher. He reportedly spent about three hours answering questions about the US Air Force on the first day. On the second day, he gave the PLAAF (People’s Liberation Army Air Force) a self-briefing. He stayed until the beginning of February, then went back to the US. On February 25, 2026, police arrested him, and the DOJ said he would have to appear in court for the first time on February 26, 2026.
The DOJ also gave a brief overview of his time in the military. It says he was in the military for 24 years and left in 1996. It says he was in charge of secret units that were linked to nuclear weapons delivery systems, led combat missions, and flew the F-4, F-15, F-16, and A-10. He later worked as a commercial cargo pilot and a contract simulator instructor, teaching US pilots how to fly the A-10 and F-35.
Why China Seeks Western Aircrew
Western governments talk about a pattern of hiring that happens over and over again. Five Eyes partners warned the PRC in June 2024 that it still targets current and former Western service members. A lot of the time, private companies act as middlemen. People allege that these companies conceal their affiliations with the PLA. They also offer “exorbitant” pay to get new recruits. The bulletin lists the warning signs, steps to take to avoid them, and ways to report them.
Open-source reporting gives more information, but sometimes the stories don’t match up. Since late 2019, China has hired about 30 former British pilots, according to The Aviationist. It said that offers were close to $270,000 a year. It also passed on UK Express’s claims that pilots were gathering unofficial information in China. The claims said that the effort ended later. The same report said that Le Figaro had written about China looking for French teachers. It was all about knowing how to land on an aircraft carrier.
Allied Countermeasures
NATO is moving toward a common response. In January 2024, 22 NATO allies came together for the “Securing Our Military Expertise from Adversaries” conference at NATO Allied Air Command, Ramstein Air Base. The US Air Force said that the event was mostly about how the PRC was targeting pilots, maintainers, air operations center staff, and other experts who could give away alliance tactics, techniques, and procedures.
Gen. James B. Hecker warned allied aircrew again in February 2025 not to work for privately owned aviation companies that support the PRC. The USAFE-AFAFRICA release mentioned the Test Flying Academy of South Africa, Beijing China Aviation Technology Co., and Stratos as examples. It also mentioned stricter laws: Germany updated its defense laws in January 2025, and the UK and Belgium passed similar laws in December 2023 and April 2024. Because of this, several allies are now showing real criminal exposure for illegal training work.
What Happens Now
This case will probably make the scope and purpose clearer. Watch how prosecutors talk about “defense services.” Also keep track of the training materials they say he gave. Also, pay attention to the combat topics they say he taught. Next, check to see if classification is the main problem. But prosecutors might say that unclassified tactics still put national security at risk. This case could test how courts treat training as an export for analysts.
References
- https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-us-air-force-pilot-arrested-providing-defense-services-chinese-military
- https://www.usafe.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4082616/four-star-warns-pilots-steer-clear-of-prc-backed-aviation-companies/
- https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/press-releases-2024/3833-fvey-partners-warn-of-evolving-efforts-to-recruit-current-and-former-western-service-members-to-bolster-the-prc-s-military-2
- https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3674720/chinese-attempts-to-recruit-us-nato-service-members-as-advisors-prompts-ramstei/
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