China’s J-20 and J-31 Fighter Jets Have Congress Concerned for US Air Dominance

Video Above: How Quickly can the US Close the Hypersonics Gap with Russia and China?

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

Could the US Air Force dominate the skies today should it go to war with China? It is a simple, clear and pressing question of pressing relevance to the Pentagon and members of Congress given the escalating threat circumstance in the Pacific and the alarming pace of Chinese military modernization.

This question was presented to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown by Rep. John Rice Carter, R-Texas during a budget hearing at the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

“We’ve got to dominate the airspace to protect armor. As we drawdown and take down a lot of platforms, we hope to get to the future quickly. A drawdown in anticipation we will dominate the future causes great concern to me,” Carter said to senior Air Force decision makers.

Carter explained that his concern resides in the prospect that future capabilities may not arrive soon enough to close the gap in retiring legacy or existing platforms, citing how long it took to get an operational F-35. Is there an expectation or hope that future platforms will arrive soon enough to account for force drawdowns? Or is that presenting a substantial risk given that the timing of when new platforms arrive may not yet be known?