To the Trained Eye

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

The rollouts of the Chinese J-20 and Russian PAK-FA stealth fighter designs within the past two years were “discouraging” in that “we thought there was maybe a little bit more time” before the emergence of such advanced technology outside of the United States, said Lt. Gen. Herbert Carlisle, deputy chief of staff for operations, plans, and requirements. Nonetheless, “These airplanes are not easy” to develop, Carlisle told the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee’s airland panel this week. “They’re certainly getting there, but there’s some things that a practiced eye that’s been doing this for a long time can look at . . . and go, ‘Well, you know, they probably don’t have that exactly right,'” he added. “And then to produce these, again, it’s not easy. It’s going to take some work for them to get there.” (Carlisle’s written testimony) (See also J-20 Back in the Air and Keep the Air Superiority Edge from the Daily Report archives.)

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org