The FBI arrested a 21-year-old Chinese aeronautical engineering student at JFK International Airport on April 7, 2026 — as he attempted to board a flight to Glasgow via Frankfurt — after he allegedly photographed two of the most sensitive aircraft in the U.S. military inventory from a public road outside Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. The aircraft: the E-4B “Nightwatch” doomsday command post and the RC-135 Rivet Joint.
Tianrui Liang, a Chinese national studying at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, flew to Vancouver on March 26 to meet a friend — a Columbia University student — and the two drove together across the border into the United States on March 28, traveling via Seattle to Billings, Montana, on a valid B-1/B-2 visa. Three days later, on March 31, a witness spotted him parked on Harlan Lewis Road — just outside the Offutt flightline perimeter — holding a camera fitted with a telescopic lens. Base authorities were alerted. When FBI agents confronted Liang, he consented to a search. Agents found multiple photographs of the aircraft on his camera, plus additional images of the camera screen on his iPhone. A drone was also recovered from the vehicle, though Liang said it wasn’t his and hadn’t been flown over the base.
The Aircraft — Why This Matters
Offutt sits near Omaha, Nebraska. It’s headquarters to U.S. Strategic Command and home to the 55th Wing — Air Combat Command’s largest wing, operating 49 aircraft across 32 squadrons on an annual budget exceeding $477 million. The 55th Operations Group flies all RC-135 variants, the WC-135, and the E-4B around the clock in support of global reconnaissance, treaty verification, and National Command Authority missions.
The E-4B Nightwatch is a heavily modified Boeing 747-200B purpose-built for nuclear command and control, operated by the 1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron, 595th Command and Control Group. One aircraft is kept on alert at Offutt at all times — crewed 24 hours a day, capable of communicating with ICBMs, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, strategic bombers, and naval units worldwide. Its electronics are hardened against electromagnetic pulse from nuclear detonations. The Air Force operates four E-4Bs in total, tail numbers 73-1676, 73-1677, 74-0787, and 75-0125. A replacement — the E-4C Survivable Airborne Operations Center — is already in development, with Offutt construction plans reportedly accommodating six to eight of the new aircraft.
The RC-135 Rivet Joint is America’s primary airborne signals intelligence platform, operated exclusively by the 55th Wing out of Offutt. The fleet deploys to forward locations including RAF Mildenhall, Souda Bay in Crete, and Kadena Air Base in Japan, and has seen action in every major U.S. conflict of the past three decades.
The Broader Plan — Ellsworth, Tinker, Dallas
Offutt wasn’t the only target. Court documents show Liang had previously driven to Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota hoping to photograph B-1B Lancer strategic bombers — but the aircraft had been relocated. He turned southeast toward Offutt instead. After his initial confrontation with FBI agents, he drove to New York, with plans documented in the affidavit to leave his companion’s vehicle at Kansas City airport for the friend to retrieve, rent another vehicle, photograph aircraft at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, then continue to Dallas — where he would fly to New York before returning to Scotland on April 13. Dallas was a planned departure point, not a surveillance target.
Liang was charged under 18 U.S.C. § 795, which prohibits photographing vital military installations or equipment without the commanding officer’s authorization. A magistrate judge initially released him on bail April 8, ordering him to surrender his passport, remain within New York or Nebraska, and stay away from all U.S. military installations. That order was reversed April 9 on flight risk grounds. Federal prosecutors in Nebraska appealed successfully, and the Chief District Court Judge for the District of Nebraska returned Liang to federal custody on April 10. He is currently in U.S. Marshals custody awaiting transfer to Nebraska. The Department of Justice announced formal charges on April 23.
“Any individuals who unlawfully attempt to acquire sensitive information about military aircraft located in the District of Nebraska will be held maximally accountable under federal law.” — U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods, District of Nebraska
“…The threat of Communist China’s spying efforts on sensitive American military sites is real and persistent.” — Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE)
Offutt confirmed Liang never gained access to the installation itself and said the base is fully cooperating with the FBI-led investigation.
What Comes Next
Liang told FBI agents he knew the photography was illegal — but claimed the images were “only for his own personal collection.” That explanation faces serious scrutiny given the documented multi-base itinerary, the drone found in his vehicle, and the specific aircraft he chose to photograph. The case fits a wider pattern of Chinese nationals photographing U.S. military installations, including incidents at Naval Air Station Key West and a 2025 DOJ case involving two individuals allegedly tasked by China’s Ministry of State Security to collect intelligence on U.S. Navy facilities.
We’ll continue tracking developments as Liang’s case moves through the District of Nebraska.
Sources
- Alert 5 — Original Reporting
- U.S. Department of Justice — Press Release
- The Aviationist
- Aviation Geek Club
- Fox News
- Washington Times
- WOWT — Local Omaha Coverage
- AvWeb
- Daily Caller
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