Former US F-35 fighter pilot arrested for training Chinese air force

Al JazeeraEN 2 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffFebruary 26, 2026 at 03:23 AM

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Former US Air Force Major Gerald Brown was arrested in Indiana on Wednesday and charged with illegally training Chinese military pilots. The Justice Department alleges Brown, a former F-35 instructor pilot, provided defense services to China without authorization, potentially compromising US national security. Brown, who served in the Air Force for 24 years and later worked as a defense contractor training US pilots, is accused of betraying his country by using his expertise to enhance China's military capabilities. The FBI's Counterintelligence division emphasized that the Chinese government exploits the knowledge of former US military personnel to modernize its armed forces. Brown faces prosecution in the District of Columbia.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

District of Columbia 30% Jeanine Ferris Pirro 40% Indiana 40% Roman Rozhavsky ×250% Federal Bureau of Investigation 60% F-35 Lightning II ×260% United States Air Force ×370% United States Department of Justice ×280% China ×280% Gerald Brown ×490%

Keywords

chinese military training 90% f-35 fighter pilot 80% us air force 70% espionage 60% national security 50% defense contractor 50% counterintelligence 40%

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Very Negative

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Al Jazeera

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90%

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