A former U.S. Air Force major and experienced fighter pilot has been arrested on federal charges accusing him of illegally providing combat training to pilots in China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., 65, also known by his call sign “Runner,” was taken into custody Wednesday in Jeffersonville, Indiana, shortly after returning to the United States from China in early February 2026. Brown, a U.S. citizen, faces charges of providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without the required authorization from the State Department, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and related International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
Read Full Article: https://armedforces.press/foreign-policy/2026/02/27/experienced-former-usaf-fighter-pilot-arrested-for-training-chinese-pilots/
