Screenshot of the report
According to the US "Defense News" website reported on the 5th, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said that in order to cope with the rapid modernization of the Chinese military, the department urgently needs to eliminate obsolete aircraft in order to focus on the development of modern aircraft.
At the Reagan Defense Forum on Saturday, Kendall used the MQ-9 Reaper drone, the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and the A-10 attack aircraft and other U.S. military aircraft in active service as examples, saying, "If it does not threaten China, what use do we want it?" ”
Kendall claimed that the modernization of China's military is focused on how to defeat the high-value assets of the United States, and now the United States must respond to this, but the average age of the U.S. Air Force fleet is around 30 years, which is "an anchor that hinders the air force's progress."
Kendall said the department has long sought to retire the "scrap iron" but has met with resistance from members of Congress who don't want arms purchases that benefit their state's jobs to be abandoned.
Infographic (Visual China)
Kendall's views were echoed by senior U.S. Air Force officers. In an interview with Defense News on Saturday, Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Q. Brown stressed the importance of retiring some of the older aircraft so the Air Force could bring in more F-35s and other newer aircraft.
Defense News said that for 20 years, the U.S. Air Force has operated mainly in a relaxed environment in the Middle East, without having to worry about opponents with advanced air defense systems. But that will change when clashing with an adversary with vital weapons capable of preventing U.S. forces from entering their airspace.
Brown said aircraft that may not be well suited to a more competitive environment, including certain fighter jets, reconnaissance aircraft, aircraft responsible for command and control, or those that are older or more expensive to maintain, could be considered for retirement.
People's Vision
Brown said that if the U.S. Congress does not allow such "retirement," it will increase the risk that the Air Force will face a high-end conflict. "We will not be able to deal with any crises and contingencies in the future," he said. I'm worried that if we don't stick to the past, we're going to lose every aspect of our national security. ”
(Editor: WDQ)