The Arrest The Justice Department says Gerald Eddie Brown Jr., 65, was arrested in Jeffersonville, Indiana, after federal agents accused him of training pilots for the Chinese military. Brown is a 24 year Air Force veteran and a former F-35 instructor. Authorities say he traveled to China in 2023 and met with Chinese military officials. He faces criminal charges for providing defense services to a foreign military without the required State Department license under the Arms Export Control Act. What the Charges Say According to the criminal complaint, the alleged conduct started in or around August 2023 and involved cooperation with both foreign nationals and U.S. persons. The government treats tactical flight instruction for another country as a controlled defense service under ITAR rules. The complaint says Brown lacked a license from the State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, which the government says is required before a U.S. person may train foreign military personnel. What Officials Are Saying Department of Justice and FBI officials framed the arrest as a national security matter. The DOJ emphasized the legal line between permissible work and licensed defense services. The FBI warned that foreign governments try to use U.S. military expertise to improve…

What Parliament Approved Germany's budgetary committee signed off on an initial purchase worth about €540 million for so called loitering munitions. The committee also imposed a ceiling of €1 billion and told the Defense Ministry to come back to parliament before any further spending. The vote clears the way for a fast start, but lawmakers left themselves oversight strings to avoid open ended spending without more review. What These Drones Actually Do The systems are kamikaze drones, also called loitering munitions. They can hover over an area, wait for an operator to pick a target, then attack by releasing explosives or by crashing into the target. The kits are intended for a Bundeswehr brigade stationed in Lithuania, where they are meant to boost deterrence along NATO's eastern flank. Who Will Build Them The initial orders go to two German startups, Helsing in Munich and Stark Defense in Berlin. Officials publicly said the contracts are homegrown to limit foreign influence. That line also answers recent concerns about big foreign investors. Expect more political oversight as the ministry reports back on technical details and security safeguards. Why This Matters and What Could Go Wrong Getting systems into service by 2027 is the…