INDIANA – Federal prosecutors have leveled charges against retired United States military aviators accused of illicitly providing flight training to the Chinese military, highlighting a sophisticated effort by Beijing to acquire Western tactical aviation expertise.
The legal actions involve retired Air Force Major Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., who was arrested by federal agents in Indiana in February 2026, and former Marine Corps pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan, who is currently fighting extradition from Australia to the United States under similar allegations. Both cases underscore warnings from U.S. officials regarding the targeted recruitment of former Western military personnel to enhance the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army.
According to federal prosecutors, Brown spent over 24 years in the Air Force, flying combat missions during Operation Desert Storm and commanding nuclear delivery units. His extensive piloting record included the F-4 Phantom II, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-111 Aardvark, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and AT-38 trainer aircraft, alongside holding Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearances.
Following his military service, Brown flew cargo planes for UPS and visited China more than 30 times in that capacity before being terminated in 2017 due to a mid-flight cockpit altercation. The incident resulted in the revocation of his Federal Aviation Administration pilot’s license in 2018. Brown later worked briefly as a simulator instructor in Florida and trained American pilots on the A-10 and F-16 in South Korea. He lost the South Korea position in 2022 over hostile work environment and sexual harassment allegations, and was subsequently released from a role as an F-35 simulator instructor for Lockheed Martin in 2023 after failing to secure a necessary security clearance.
Investigators allege that a former Ecuadorian Air Force pilot recruited Brown in 2023 for Chinese military aviation programs. Brown submitted a résumé tailored for tactical aviation employment, and recruiters discussed placing him at a facility described as the Chinese equivalent of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School. Intercepted messages cited by prosecutors indicate Brown expressed a desire to keep the arrangement quiet and avoid social media exposure. Brown traveled to China in December 2023, where he allegedly provided presentations and answered questions for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force until returning to the United States in early 2026.
The case mirrors allegations against Duggan, who flew for the Marine Corps before moving to Australia in 2002 and later renouncing his U.S. citizenship. Prosecutors allege that between 2010 and 2012, Duggan worked through the Test Flying Academy of South Africa to train Chinese pilots in complex aircraft-carrier operations. Duggan was arrested by Australian authorities in October 2022 and suffered a setback in April 2026 when an Australian federal judge rejected his latest appeal against extradition.
An investigative affidavit connects both pilots to Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national who previously pleaded guilty in the United States to conspiring to hack U.S. defense contractors. The documents show that individuals involved in recruiting Brown explicitly discussed Duggan’s indictment to assess their own legal exposure under the Arms Export Control Act, which governs the export of defense services and military expertise.
The federal cases are part of a broader string of foreign influence operations highlighted by officials. In related developments, former Arcadia City Council Mayor Eileen Wang recently pleaded guilty in Los Angeles, California, to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government, while 21-year-old Chinese national Tianrui Liang was charged in April for allegedly documenting military aircraft at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska.
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