The United States has arrested a former elite F-35 Lightning II\nfighter pilot on suspicion of providing military training to the Chinese\nAir Force without official US government authorisation. The arrest was\nannounced by the US Department of Justice (DOJ).<\/p>\n
On Wednesday (25\/2\/2026), the DOJ stated that former US Air Force\nMajor Gerald Brown (65) was arrested on Wednesday in the state of\nIndiana. Brown is accused of providing and conspiring to provide defense\nservices to Chinese military pilots illegally.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis former elite fighter pilot is alleged to have betrayed his\ncountry by training Chinese pilots to fight against the very people he\nonce swore to protect,\u201d said Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of the\nFBI\u2019s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, in an official\nstatement, as quoted by Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n
Rozhavsky added that the Chinese government is actively exploiting\nthe expertise of US military personnel, both active and retired, to\naccelerate the modernisation of its military capabilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis arrest serves as a stark warning,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Ferris Pirro,\nalso affirmed that they will take strict action against anyone involved.\n\u201cBrown and anyone who conspires against this country will be held\naccountable,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
According to the DOJ, Brown served in the US Air Force for 24 years.\nHe has led combat missions and was responsible for sensitive units,\nincluding those related to nuclear weapons delivery systems.<\/p>\n
After retiring in 1996, Brown worked as a commercial cargo pilot\nbefore becoming a defense contractor training US pilots to operate F-35\nand A-10 fighter jets.<\/p>\n
Brown allegedly began training Chinese pilots after travelling to the\ncountry in December 2023. He is said to have stayed in China until\nreturning to the US in early February 2026.<\/p>\n
The DOJ revealed that the training contract was negotiated by Stephen\nSu Bin, a Chinese citizen who was sentenced to four years in prison in\n2016 for conspiring to hack US defense contractors to steal military\nsecrets.<\/p>\n
The case is said to be similar to the case of former US Marine Corps\npilot Daniel Duggan, who was arrested in Australia in 2022 and is now\nfighting extradition to the US. Duggan is accused of violating the US\nArms Export Control Act for providing pilot training to the Chinese\nmilitary.<\/p>\n
According to a Reuters report, Duggan\u2019s lawyer called the extradition\nattempt an unprecedented case in Australian legal practice.<\/p>\n
In 2024, the US government, along with Australia, Canada, New\nZealand, and the United Kingdom, issued a joint warning regarding\nChina\u2019s efforts to recruit Western military personnel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe insights gained by the People\u2019s Liberation Army from Western\nmilitary talent threaten the safety of the individuals targeted, their\nfellow service members, and the security of the US and its allies,\u201d the\nstatement said.<\/p>\n
The US government has affirmed that any individual who provides\nmilitary training or expertise to a foreign country without\nauthorisation may face civil or criminal penalties.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/former-f-35-fighter-pilot-arrested-in-the-us-allegedly-trained-chinese-military-1772126955", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }