Air Force Eyes Overhaul To Address Increasing Chinese Threat

President Joe Biden has faced criticism since early on in his term asserting that his policies are making America’s military weaker as adversaries around the world become stronger.

The secretary of the U.S. Air Force recently spoke out about the ways that the branch — and the armed forces in general — need to adapt in preparation for the increased threat from China.

“We’re out of time,” advised Frank Kendall during an event in Colorado earlier this week.

Explaining why he felt the need to issue the dire warning, Kendall said that he is at risk of “sounding like a broken record” for emphasizing a growing international threat to the U.S. homeland.

“It’s because, for at least two decades, China has been building a military that is designed, purpose-built, to deter and defeat the United States if we intervene in the western Pacific,” Kendall said.

He laid out a range of proposals as part of an overhaul to the branch as well as the Space Force, which is organized underneath the Department of the Air Force. 

In total, military officials are calling for 16 changes within the Air Force, five within the Space Force, and another three affecting the Department of the Air Force. One of the most notable involves reinstating warrant officers as part of an overarching emphasis on increasing the technological capabilities of the Air Force.

Kendall added that he is also pushing for new academy training that will “upgrade and advance the cadet experience,” specifically to provide the capabilities incoming service members will need to “lead in a complex environment” involving China. 

Referencing China’s leader, he explained: “Xi Jinping has told his military to be ready to take Taiwan by force by 2027, even if the U.S. intervenes. Freshmen at both the Air Force Academy and those entering ROTC units will be commissioned in 2027.”

Although the implementation of certain improvements can begin in the short term, Kendall noted that the existing military budget does not provide the funding to address these concerns.

“We have nothing in the ‘24 or ‘25 budget for any of these changes,” he concluded. “There’s a possibility that we’ll have some funds in ‘26.”

With all of the spending on other nations’ militaries, it’s easy to see why it’s difficult for our own military to find the funds to prepare for evolving threats across the world.