Former Air Force pilot arrested for providing defense services to the Chinese military

A former Air Force pilot was arrested for allegedly providing defense services to the Chinese military. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. conspired with foreign and U.S. persons from at least August 2023 to provide military aviation training to Chinese air force pilots.

Brown, 65, was detained by authorities in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He served for more than 24 years in the Air Force, retiring in 1996 with the rank of major. During this time, he led combat missions and was a fighter pilot and simulator instructor.

Specifically, the DOJ charges him with violating the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). The legislation, signed into law in 1976, prohibits U.S. citizens from providing military training to foreign forces without a license from the Department of State. According to the indictment, Brown traveled to China in December 2023 and remained there until early 2026, engaging in these activities.

"As an Air Force Officer, Brown took an oath to defend our Nation against all enemies foreign and domestic, he broke that oath, and betrayed the country, jeopardizing the safety of our servicemembers and allies," Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said. 

"We will hold Brown, and anyone conspiring against our Nation, accountable for their actions. The Department of Justice and my prosecutors are steadfast in our commitment to use every lawful tool available to keep American military expertise where it belongs – here in America," she added.

According to the DOJ, Brown is expected to appear before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Indiana on Feb. 26. The case is being handled by U.S. Attorney Beau Barnes and the acting deputy director of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, Sean Heiden, among other authorities.