US outlines major revamp of aerospace forces as it faces threat posed by China

Name: US and Philippines launch ‘biggest ever’ joint marine exercises near disputed waters
Uploaded: 2023-09-15T10:00:14.000Z
Duration: 2 min 5 s
Description: US and Philippines launch ‘biggest ever’ joint marine exercises near disputed waters

A senior military official announces a major overhaul of the US Air Force and Space Force, saying it had to change to counter the China threat

The PLA’s modernisation has spurred the US to address its own military, with one expert saying it must become ‘more flexible’ and ‘agile’

5-MIN READ5-MIN

The US Air Force has outlined a major overhaul of its aerospace forces in a bid to combat the growing threat from China. Photo: US Air Force

Seong Hyeon Choi

Published: 6:00pm, 15 Sep 2023

The US is preparing to revamp its aerospace forces’ operations in the western Pacific as part of a deterrence strategy against China, a US Air Force official has said, as Beijing attempts to boost its air force and navy missions near its coast.

On Monday, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said senior leadership would look to reorganise itself and the Space Force in the coming months for better operation “in an era of great power competition” with China. He made the comment during his keynote address at the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbour, Maryland.

Kendall stressed that the air force had no choice but to change to counter the threat from China, which has been modernising its air and naval forces, and has a rocket force capable of targeting US strategic military assets. He said the US must prepare for a “kind of war we have no modern experience with”.

“Our job is to deter that war and to be ready to win if it occurs,” Kendall said. “We’re all talking about the fact that the air and space forces must change, or we could fail to prevent and might even lose a war.

“China has been re-optimising its forces for great power competition and to prevail against the US in the western Pacific for over 20 years.”

02:05

US and Philippines launch ‘biggest ever’ joint marine exercises near disputed waters

The changes, which the department is aiming to implement by January 2024, will involve five teams focusing on organisation; equipment; recruitment, training and retention of personnel; readiness; and operational air and space missions support.