‘Out of time’: Air Force confronts rising China, battles Congress over outdated aircraft Top Air Force officials sounded the alarm Monday that the U.S. is rapidly falling behind China in the race to dominate the 21st century, and they suggested that Congress‘ refusal to let go of aging weaponry and planes is a military luxury the country can no longer afford.
Such dire warnings from Defense Department officials are common across Washington, with officials trying to justify ever-rising budget requests by laying out a world in which the U.S. slips behind its rivals militarily and needs more money to catch up. But Pentagon watchers say the debate has taken on new clarity and urgency with the chaotic but complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, essentially clearing the budgetary and strategic decks for the debate on how best to confront a rising China.
Speaking at the Air Force Association’s annual Air, Space and Cyber Conference, military leaders said recent war games and virtual military exercises have exposed potential gaps in U.S. strategy and capabilities and have raised serious questions about whether the Pentagon is truly prepared for a potential showdown with Beijing. The stark message comes as the Biden administration doubles down on its pivot away from the Middle Eastern wars of the post-9/11 era and toward great-power competition with a Chinese government that has made military development a top priority.............
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/sep/20/air-force-confronts-rising-china-battles-congress-/
