Now, there can be no doubt that China’s Air Force is on the way up. Xinhua news agency quotes military sources as saying that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force—which is what Beijing calls its air arm—has chosen to go with a new grey-blue uniform. This will mark the first time that the, er, PLA Air Force uniform has had jackets and trousers in matching colors.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…