Image: from Shanaka Anslem Perera X @shanaka86
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
Thursday, February 26, 2026
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Federal authorities confirmed Wednesday the arrest of a highly decorated retired U.S. Air Force pilot accused of illegally conspiring to train military aviators for the People’s Republic of China.
Gerald Brown, 65, was taken into custody in Indiana shortly after returning from China, where he had been residing since December 2023. According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) statement, Brown is charged with providing defense services to a foreign power without the required authorization from the U.S. government, a move officials say directly aids the modernization of China’s aerial combat capabilities.
A Career of High-Stakes Aviation
Brown’s military pedigree makes the allegations particularly sensitive. During a 24-year career in the U.S. Air Force, he commanded units responsible for nuclear weapon delivery systems and led numerous combat missions. Most notably, he served as an elite flight instructor and simulator expert for a wide range of strike and fighter aircraft.
After retiring from active duty in 1996, Brown initially worked as a cargo pilot. However, he eventually returned to the defense sector as a contractor for a firm hired by the Department of Defense. In that role, he was tasked with training American pilots to operate the A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog” and the F-35 Lightning II, the Pentagon’s most advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter.
The Connection to a Convicted Spy
Federal investigators allege that Brown’s path to Beijing began in August 2023, when he started negotiating a contract with Stephen Su Bin. Su Bin is a notorious figure in intelligence circles, having served nearly four years in U.S. federal prison after being convicted in 2016 for a high-profile hacking conspiracy that targeted U.S. military trade secrets.
Prosecutors claim Brown traveled to China in late 2023 specifically to begin his tenure as a flight instructor for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), leveraging his intimate knowledge of Western tactics to bolster Chinese pilot readiness.
A “Strategic Threat” to National Security
The arrest highlights a growing concern within the Pentagon regarding “talent poaching” by strategic competitors. Roman Rozhavsky, a high-ranking official within the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, warned that the Chinese government remains relentless in its pursuit of American military expertise.
“The Chinese government continues to exploit the experience of current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces to modernize its military capabilities,” Rozhavsky stated. “This is not just a regulatory violation; it is a direct threat to the safety of our service members and the integrity of our national defense.”
If convicted of the conspiracy and arms export violations, Brown faces significant prison time. The case follows a string of similar arrests involving former Western aviators, signaling a coordinated crackdown by the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance on unauthorized defense consulting.