The Pentagon is now taking a longer view of Beijing’s military plans and development, shifting from a near-term focus to mid-century, when China plans to be the world’s dominant superpower.
J-20
The new “Splinter” camouflage on F-35s assigned to aggressor duty at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., shouldn't negate or interfere with their low observability, meaning they can truly play the role of a stealthy sparring partner for USAF fighters, according to a Nellis spokesperson. The ...
China’s dependence on Russian fighter aircraft engines may soon affect the People’s Liberation Army Air Force fleet if Russia can't service or provide engines or parts for up to 40 percent of the Chinese fighters, experts at the China Aerospace Studies Institute conference said. China has ...
The Air Force will form a training unit from its newer Block 30/35 F-22 Raptors, reducing the jets available for combat operations—but the new AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile will help those combat jets hold onto their competitive edge, according to Lt. Gen. David S. ...
Images of a new, two-seat version of China's J-20 stealth fighter, circulated on the internet, raise questions about the jet's purpose. It could be meant as a trainer, as a ground-attack variant, or as a platform for managing unmanned aircraft flying in coordination with other ...
Chinese officials at the Zhuhai air show forecast an increase in production and shortened development time for stealth fighters, without giving specifics. To match the U.S. Air Force's fifth-generation fighter inventories—not even including the Department of the Navy's—China would have to build 125 such jets ...
Fewer types, more rapid refreshes, and a short-term reduction in purchases are USAF’s latest recipe for modernizing the fighter fleet.
China is making steady and ominous gains in the quality of its military forces and its ability to project power—while making more open challenges to the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific and worldwide, according to the Pentagon’s 173-page China Military Power Report released in late August.
As Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. prepares to take the helm as the service’s top officer in early August, he already is thinking about how to best position the Air Force for a potential conflict with China. Brown, who has led Pacific Air Forces since ...
The case for a new version of the F-22, reborn with the brains of the F-35.
