A 21-year-old Chinese aeronautical engineering student at the University of Glasgow has been arrested by the FBI after allegedly photographing some of the United States military’s most sensitive aircraft — including the E-4B Nightwatch “doomsday plane” — at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, the headquarters of US Strategic Command. Tianrui Liang was detained at JFK Airport on April 7 as he prepared to board a return flight to Scotland, and has been held in federal custody since April 9 after prosecutors argued he posed a considerable flight risk.
What the FBI alleges
In an affidavit filed in federal court, FBI Special Agent Noah Heflin said Liang had used a planespotting website to identify photography positions near military bases and drove across multiple states with the apparent goal of photographing specific high-value aircraft types. A witness near Offutt reported seeing a man in a vehicle holding a camera with a telescopic lens as aircraft moved along the runway. A subsequent review of his camera revealed numerous photographs of aircraft on the base’s flightline.
Liang admitted to investigators that he knew photographing the base was illegal but said the images were intended only for his personal collection. He was charged under Title 18, Section 795 of the US Code, which prohibits the unauthorized photographing, sketching, or mapping of vital military and naval installations or equipment without prior approval from the commanding officer.
“Sufficient probable cause” existed to believe Liang photographed the Offutt base without the approval of the base commander.
— FBI Affidavit, Eastern District of New York, April 2026
Court filings note that access to the full investigative report has been restricted due to an ongoing investigation into a named co-conspirator. The FBI has not publicly identified that individual. Investigators also allege Liang had planned further stops — including Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, where additional E-4B aircraft are based — before leaving the country.
How it unfolded
Liang flew to Canada, telling investigators he was visiting a friend. He and the friend then drove across the border into the United States and traveled through several states together.
After separating from his friend, Liang drove to Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota to photograph B-1B Lancer bombers. Learning the aircraft had relocated, he continued to Offutt AFB in Nebraska, where a witness reported seeing him near the perimeter holding a camera with a telescopic lens as aircraft moved along the runway.
As Liang prepared to board a return flight to Glasgow via Frankfurt, FBI agents detained him at John F. Kennedy International Airport. A review of his camera found numerous photographs of aircraft on the Offutt flightline.
Liang appeared in a New York federal court and was initially released on bail with conditions.
Prosecutors successfully argued that Liang posed a considerable flight risk. He was taken back into custody and has remained detained since.
The aircraft targeted
A heavily modified Boeing 747-200 that serves as a survivable mobile command post for the President, Secretary of Defense, and senior military leaders during national emergencies, including nuclear conflict. Capable of in-flight refueling and designed to withstand electromagnetic pulses from nuclear detonations. Four are operated by the 595th Command and Control Group at Offutt.
A family of large strategic reconnaissance aircraft derived from the C-135 Stratolifter. Operated by the 55th Wing at Offutt, RC-135 variants collect signals intelligence, imagery, and electronic intelligence across multiple configurations including the Rivet Joint, Combat Sent, and Cobra Ball variants.
A supersonic variable-sweep wing strategic bomber. Liang first traveled to Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota specifically to photograph a B-1B, but the aircraft had been relocated by the time he arrived. Investigators also allege he planned a subsequent visit to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma to photograph additional aircraft.
The planespotting grey area
Aviation enthusiasts commonly photograph military aircraft from public areas near base perimeters, and such activity is rarely prosecuted. Laws like Section 795 exist in the US and several other countries but are seldom enforced against hobbyists. Security agencies have historically viewed planespotters as a useful informal surveillance layer — enthusiasts frequently report suspicious activity to authorities, and some bases maintain structured engagement programs with regular observers.
Analysts suggest several factors elevated Liang’s case above routine enthusiast activity: his Chinese nationality in a period of heightened US-China tensions, the particular sensitivity of Offutt as a Strategic Command headquarters, the presence of a named co-conspirator in the investigation, and the broader Trump administration’s more aggressive posture toward foreign nationals at military sites during the ongoing Iran conflict.
Universities as intelligence targets
The arrest adds to a growing body of cases that have prompted warnings from British security officials about foreign intelligence activities at UK universities. MI5 Director General Ken McCallum — himself a University of Glasgow alumnus — has described British universities as magnets for espionage, particularly institutions conducting cutting-edge research with international student populations.
Nigel Inkster of the International Institute for Strategic Studies told the BBC in November that there are many cases of joint research with clear military and defence applications where institutions should be asking harder questions about whether to continue. The University of Glasgow said it does not comment on ongoing police matters or individual students.
Liang’s lawyer, Jeffrey Thomas of the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Omaha, did not respond to requests for comment. The US Attorney’s Office in Nebraska said it was unable to comment. Liang is expected to appear in court again later this month.