Australian Judge Approves Extradition of American Ex-Fighter Pilot Accused of Training Chinese Aviators

Daniel Duggan, a former U.S. Marine pilot and naturalized Australian citizen, faces extradition to the United States after an Australian judge ruled in favor of his transfer. Duggan is accused of illegally training Chinese military pilots, a violation of U.S. arms-control laws. He has been held in a maximum-security prison in Australia for 19 months following his arrest in 2022. The charges against Duggan include training Chinese pilots to land on aircraft carriers, an activity that raises significant security concerns for the U.S. The extradition process highlights the complex legal and diplomatic issues surrounding international arms control and military training.