Chinese Students Again... Arrested for Illegally Photographing U.S. Air Force Base

Controversy Over Chinese Nationals Illegally Photographing Military Facilities in Korea

A Chinese national university student has been indicted on charges of illegally photographing military aircraft at a U.S. Air Force base.

Chinese Student Caught Photographing U.S. 'Doomsday Plane'

The E-4B Nightwatch, known as the "Doomsday Plane." Photo by Yonhap News

According to Fox News and other outlets on April 20 (local time), the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that it arrested Chinese national Liang Tianrui, 21, at a New York airport on April 7 as he was about to board an international flight. Liang is accused of using a camera to photograph an RC-135 military reconnaissance aircraft and an E-4B airborne command post at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska, at the end of last month.

Notably, the E-4B serves as the command center for nuclear warfare from the air if the U.S. mainland comes under nuclear attack, which is why it is nicknamed the "Doomsday Plane" or "Nightwatch Plane." Offutt Air Force Base also houses the U.S. Strategic Command, making it one of the most sensitive security facilities within the U.S. military.

Investigations revealed that Liang is a student at the University of Glasgow in Scotland and entered the United States via Canada. He told investigators that he identified the photography location through a plane spotter (aviation enthusiast) website and said the photos were "for personal collection."

However, authorities believe he intentionally photographed military assets without authorization. The FBI’s sworn affidavit stated, "The suspect was aware in advance that photographing military aircraft on the ground is illegal."

Two Chinese High School Students Indicted for 'Fighter Jet Photography' in Korea

Previously, in Korea, two Chinese national high school students were indicted and detained on charges of entering Korea three times and twice each from the second half of 2024 to March last year, and taking hundreds of detailed photographs of fighter jets taking off and landing, as well as control facilities, at various locations. The places they visited included four South Korea-U.S. military facilities—Suwon Air Force Base, Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek (K-55), U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek (K-6), Cheongju Air Force Base—and three major international airports: Incheon, Gimpo, and Jeju.

On March 21 last year, the two were caught by police after a local resident reported them photographing fighter jets taking off and landing near Suwon Air Force Base without authorization. The sentencing hearing for their case is scheduled for 10 a.m. on May 14.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.