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FighterJet

Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers Collide Mid-Air During Idaho Air Show; All 4 Survived SEO DES: Mountain Home Air Force Base was locked down after the mid-air collision as officials canceled the air show and secured the crash site perimeter SOCIAL: Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler jets collided mid-air during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show near Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho on Sunday. All four crew members safely ejected before the aircraft crashed. The jets belonged to VAQ-129 and were performing an aerial demonstration when the collision occurred. Emergency crews responded immediately, while authorities locked down the base and launched an investigation. No civilian injuries were reported, and investigators are examining flight data and communications to determine the cause of the rare mid-air accident. Idaho, United States: Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft collided mid-air during an aerial demonstration at the Gunfighter Skies Air Show near Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho on Sunday, forcing all four crew members to eject before the jets crashed to the ground. The collision occurred at approximately 12:10 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time, around two miles from the air base during the final day of the two-day air show, according to U.S. Navy officials. The aircraft involved belonged to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129), based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington state. U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesperson Cmdr. Amelia Umayam confirmed that both aircraft were participating in a scheduled aerial demonstration when the incident took place. She said all four aircrew members ejected safely and survived the crash. “The incident is under investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available,” Umayam said. Videos recorded by spectators and widely circulated online captured the dramatic moment the two Growlers made contact in the air before spiraling downward. Footage showed debris falling from the aircraft as parachutes opened seconds later, confirming the successful ejection of the crews. Witnesses at the venue reported seeing four parachutes descending near the crash site. Emergency response teams, including firefighting crews and rescue helicopters, rushed to the area shortly after impact. The crash reportedly sparked a brush fire near State Highway 167, which authorities later closed for several days to secure the wreckage area and support the investigation. Mountain Home Air Force Base was temporarily locked down following the collision, while officials canceled the remainder of the air show. Local law enforcement and emergency management agencies established a large safety perimeter around the crash site. The EA-18G Growler is the U.S. Navy’s primary airborne electronic attack aircraft and is derived from the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet platform. The aircraft is designed for radar jamming, electronic surveillance and suppression of enemy air defenses. Each Growler typically carries a crew of two: a pilot and an electronic warfare officer. The aircraft involved were part of the Navy’s “Vikings” Growler demonstration team, one of the featured attractions at the Gunfighter Skies Air Show. The event marked the return of the air show after an eight-year gap. The last edition in 2018 ended in tragedy after a hang glider pilot was killed in a separate crash incident. The crews may have remained in controlled flight briefly after impact, giving them enough time to coordinate successful ejections. No civilian injuries or spectator casualties were reported. Investigators from the U.S. Navy are expected to examine flight data, maintenance records, pilot communications and video footage to determine the exact cause of the collision. While no official cause has been identified.

Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers Collide Mid-Air During Idaho Air Show; All 4 Survived

Aviation Today News Desk / May 18, 2026

Idaho, United States: Two U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft collided mid-air during an aerial demonstration at the Gunfighter […]

Retired U.S. Air Force Pilot Arrested For Allegedly Training Chinese Military SEO DES: Prosecutors allege Brown went to China in Dec 2023, stayed until Feb 2026, training PLAAF pilots & briefing them on US Air Force tactics, breaching ITAR laws SOCIAL: A retired U.S. Air Force officer, Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., 65, has been arrested and charged with providing unauthorized military training to members of the Chinese military, the U.S. Department of Justice said on 25 February 2026. Arrested in Indiana, he faces charges under the Arms Export Control Act for supplying defense services without a State Department license. Prosecutors allege Brown traveled to China in December 2023 and stayed until early February 2026, where he trained People’s Liberation Army Air Force pilots and briefed them on U.S. Air Force operations and tactics, violating export control laws under ITAR. A former Major with 24 years of service, Brown previously flew and instructed on several fighter jets, including the F-35. The FBI and Air Force Office of Special Investigations are probing the case, which officials describe as a serious national security concern. Washington, United States: A retired U.S. Air Force officer and combat pilot has been arrested and charged for allegedly providing and conspiring to provide defence training to members of the Chinese military without authorisation, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in a press release on 25 February 2026. Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., 65, a U.S. citizen known by the call sign “Runner,” was arrested in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and was expected to make his initial appearance before a Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Indiana on 26 February 2026. Brown has been charged under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) for providing prohibited defence services to foreign military personnel without a required license from the U.S. State Department. According to the DOJ, Brown “provided and conspired to provide defence services to Chinese military pilots without authorisation,” in violation of U.S. law. Prosecutors say the training he offered falls under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which require U.S. persons to obtain a licence from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls before providing any military training or assistance to foreign nationals or foreign military units. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg emphasised that Brown was trained by the U.S. Air Force to defend the nation, a role his alleged conduct now reverses. “When U.S. persons, whether military or civilian, provide training to a foreign military, that activity is illegal unless they have a licence from the State Department,” Eisenberg said. “The National Security Division will use all tools at its disposal to protect our military advantages and hold to account those who would violate the AECA.” FBI officials also highlighted the national security implications of the case. Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, stated that Brown’s conduct allegedly aided efforts by the Chinese government to “modernize China’s military capabilities” by exploiting the expertise of former U.S. service members. Rozhavsky added that this arrest is intended to serve as a warning to others who might collaborate with U.S. adversaries. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia also condemned the alleged conduct, saying Brown “broke his oath” and “jeopardized the safety of our servicemembers and allies” by offering his training services overseas. Brown served over 24 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring in 1996 at the rank of Major. His military career included commanding sensitive units with responsibility for nuclear weapons delivery systems, leading combat missions, and serving as a fighter pilot and simulator instructor on multiple aircraft including the F-4 “Phantom II,” F-15 “Eagle,” F-16 “Fighting Falcon,” A-10 “Thunderbolt II” and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. After leaving active duty, Brown worked as a commercial cargo pilot and later as a contract simulator instructor training U.S. military pilots. According to the criminal complaint, Brown began making arrangements in August 2023 to contract with Chinese military personnel for combat aircraft training, using a co-conspirator to negotiate with Chinese national Stephen Su Bin who previously pled guilty in U.S. federal court in 2016 to conspiring to hack into defence contractor networks to steal sensitive data. Su Bin and his company were added to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List in 2014. Brown allegedly travelled to China in December 2023 to begin the training work and remained there until early February 2026. Once in China, prosecutors say he conducted extensive briefings on U.S. Air Force operations, answered questions about U.S. military tactics, and trained People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) pilots. The DOJ’s announcement explicitly links Brown’s case to an earlier prosecution of a former U.S. Marine Corps pilot, Daniel Edmund Duggan, who was charged in 2017 with similar violations. Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 and is awaiting extradition to the U.S. on comparable AECA charges for providing defence services to the Chinese military. In recent years, U.S. and allied security agencies have warned that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army continues to pursue current and former Western military personnel to bolster its capabilities, a trend that has drawn warnings from NATO and U.S. military leadership about safeguard obligations even after service members retire. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office, with assistance from its Louisville, Indianapolis and Los Angeles field offices, as well as the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Prosecution is being handled by attorneys from the DOJ’s National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with support from the Southern District of Indiana.

Military Aviation

Retired U.S. Air Force Pilot Arrested For Allegedly Training Chinese Military

Aviation Today News Desk / February 27, 2026

Washington, United States: A retired U.S. Air Force officer and combat pilot has been arrested and charged for allegedly providing

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