Iran's biggest ally gains US aviation secrets? Former F-35 pilot charged with training PLA pilots

A former elite US Air Force instructor pilot with decades of experience flying F-35s and nuclear-capable aircraft has been arrested for allegedly providing unauthorized combat training to China’s People's Liberation Army Air Force. According to federal prosecutors, Gerald Eddie Brown Jr. (call sign "Runner") willfully conspired to share sensitive US military tactics with Beijing, traveling to China in December 2023 and remaining there until early 2026 without the required State Department license. The breach endangers American and allied forces, adding a layer of strategic panic in Washington just as the Trump administration prepares for potential conflict with Iran.