On February 25th, the U.S. Department of Justice arrested former Air Force Major Gerald Brown, an F-35 instructor, for allegedly training Chinese Air Force pilots without authorization. Experts in Taiwan point out that this case reflects a systematic strategy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to purposefully absorb Western military elites to address its operational weaknesses, and they offer suggestions on how to counter such infiltration.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice on February 25th, the arrested individual, Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. (callsign “Runner”), is 65 years old and served as a Major in the U.S. Air Force for over 24 years. His career spanned various fighter jets such as F-4, F-15, F-16, A-10, and F-35, and he commanded sensitive units responsible for nuclear weapons delivery. After retiring, he continued to work as a simulator instructor for F-35 and A-10 aircraft.
The indictment shows that Brown’s illegal activities began at least as early as August 2023 when he planned to work with Chinese national Su Bin, who had previously pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court in 2016 for conspiring to hack into defense contractors’ systems and steal sensitive military data. Brown arrived in China in December 2023, where he engaged in consultations with Chinese officials on U.S. Air Force operations and shared his combat experiences with Chinese military personnel.
The Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg, stated that the U.S. Air Force trained Major Brown to be an elite pilot entrusted with defending the country. Providing training to foreign militaries without State Department permission is considered illegal. Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Intelligence Division, emphasized that the CCP has long sought to recruit active and retired U.S. military personnel to accelerate its military modernization efforts.
Former Dean of Political Warfare Academy at Taiwan’s National Defense University, General Yu Zongji, analyzed that Brown was specifically targeted not by coincidence. He was not just an ordinary F-35 pilot but a top-tier pilot at the instructor level, with experience flying multiple aircraft types and engaging in nuclear weapons missions, making him a “high-value target” as defined by Chinese intelligence.
General Yu explained that the CCP’s intelligence operations have long followed the “blue, gold, yellow” model, using money, sex, and other means to infiltrate such valuable targets as Brown. The “blue, gold, yellow plan” refers to three methods of infiltration: using cyber monitoring and manipulating information, bribery and influence peddling, and exploiting sex for control or coercion.
In response to ongoing efforts by the CCP to recruit Western pilots, experts emphasized the need for precise countermeasures. They highlighted the importance of understanding and focusing on high-value targets to effectively prevent infiltration. The case of Brown’s arrest is seen as a culmination of long-term efforts towards this goal, demonstrating the effectiveness of such mechanisms.
Moreover, given the CCP’s history of intelligence penetration, experts stressed the need for enhanced protection of sensitive technologies, strengthening legal frameworks for selling information, proactive monitoring of CCP activities in the West, and deepening intelligence collaboration among allies to prevent information theft through indirect means.
While acknowledging the challenges of completely blocking infiltration in a democratic system, experts agreed that targeted identification and allocation of resources can significantly reduce the CCP’s chances of success. It is not about creating a blanket defense but focusing resources on the most critical individuals.
Brown appeared in the Southern District Court of Indiana on February 26, 2026, for his initial hearing, and further proceedings will uncover more details about the case.