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Former U.S. Air Force Major Arrested Over Alleged China Training Scheme With Convicted Hacker

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Summary

Prosecutors allege former Air Force Major Gerald Eddie Brown worked with convicted hacker Stephen Su Bin to train Chinese military pilots without a State Department license. Brown was arrested after returning from China.

Key points

  • Prosecutors allege Brown negotiated with Stephen Su Bin to provide combat-aircraft training to Chinese military pilots.
  • Brown, a former Air Force major and defense-contractor employee, was arrested in Indiana after nearly three years in China.
  • Prosecutors say Brown lacked a State Department license required to provide military training to a foreign government.
  • Bin pleaded guilty in 2016 to hacking a U.S. defense contractor and stealing sensitive military and export-controlled data for China.
  • The article says Bin accessed Boeing servers holding C-17 documents and emailed them to officials in China.

Article Details

Event Type
Arrest of former U.S. Air Force Major Gerald Eddie Brown on allegations of conspiring with convicted hacker Stephen Su Bin to provide combat aircraft training to Chinese military pilots without a State Department license.
Impact
Prosecutors allege Brown provided or intended to provide military training in violation of ITAR. Separately, Stephen Su Bin pleaded guilty to hacking a U.S. defense contractor and stealing sensitive military and export-controlled data, including Boeing C-17 documents, which he emailed to officials in China. No further operational impact is specified.

People

Gerald Eddie BrownFormer U.S. Air Force Major arrested and accused by U.S. prosecutors of conspiring to train Chinese military pilots in combat aircraft operations without a State Department license.John A. EisenbergAssistant Attorney General for National Security; publicly commented on the charge that Brown trained Chinese military pilots.Roman RozhavskyAssistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division; publicly commented on the allegations against Brown.

Threat Actors

Stephen Su BinA Chinese national described as a convicted hacker. He pleaded guilty in 2016 to hacking a U.S. defense contractor and stealing sensitive military and export-controlled data for the Chinese government; prosecutors allege he conspired with Brown on the training arrangement.

Vendors

Boeingdefense contractors and stealing sensitive military data, including Boeing C-17 documents.

Products

C-17defense contractors and stealing sensitive military data, including Boeing C-17 documents.

Countries

CanadaThe contract was negotiated through a co-conspirator with Stephen Su Bin — a Chinese national who ran an aviation and aerospace technology business in Canada.ChinaBrown was arrested in Indiana after nearly three years in China and has made his first court appearance.United StatesU.S. prosecutors allege former Air Force Major Gerald Eddie Brown conspired with convicted Chinese hacker Stephen Su Bin to provide detailed combat aircraft training to pilots in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

Industries

AerospaceThe contract was negotiated through a co-conspirator with Stephen Su Bin — a Chinese national who ran an aviation and aerospace technology business in Canada.Defensedefense contractors, is accused of violating ITAR by training a foreign military without a State Department license and was arrested after returning to the United States.Militarydefense contractors, is accused of violating ITAR by training a foreign military without a State Department license and was arrested after returning to the United States.