Why the U.S. Needs To Upgrade Its Fighter Jets Now
With China on its tail, the American military should not fall victim to the sunk-cost fallacy.
By Kamran Bokhari, the director of analytical development at the Newlines Institute in Washington.
JULY 5, 2024, 6:00 AM
As the war in Ukraine trudges on, the Pentagon no longer has to worry too much about Russia’s ability to compete militarily with the United States. Moscow’s new pact with North Korea, a reliance on Iranian drones, its inability to establish air superiority over Ukraine well after two years into the war, and the lack of vital components such as computer chips all signal Russian weakness. Russia claiming to be at the forefront of aircraft technology with the MiG-41, capable of firing “laser weaponry,” comes off more as an unhinged fantasy than a credible threat. Despite its boasts, and because its war in Ukraine has taken a toll on its aircraft industry, Moscow will be struggling to keep up with Washington in developing a sixth generation fighter jet. (The “generation” of a fighter aircraft refers to its technological capabilities. The fifth generation currently in operation emerged in the 2000s.)
On the other hand, China—which for decades copied the Russian aircraft industry—cannot be dismissed as easily. In fact, given its financial resources, its status as the world’s biggest manufacturer, and the technological advances it is making, China has the capacity to pose a serious challenge to America’s dominance in the military aerospace sector. Just last month, China demonstrated a feat of engineering by making a second unmanned landing on the far side of the Moon—which no other country has been able to accomplish—for the second time in five years.
Now, a sixth generation fighter is currently in various stages of development in several countries and the U.S. and China are the principal competitors in this race. Fighter jets continue to play a major role in defense strategies. Long range force projection against enemy targets would not be possible without warplanes, and in more proximate battlespaces they allow for close air support to ground troops and interdiction of enemy forces. Washington cannot allow Beijing to gain an advantage in this competition. In order to maintain its edge when it comes to military aviation technology, especially in the age of artificial intelligence, it is imperative that the United States go full throttle in producing its sixth generation system, so as to maintain its air superiority.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/07/05/u-s-fighter-jets-air-force-f-35-sixth-generation/
