In recent testimony on Capitol Hill, Navy Adm. John C. Aquilino, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, emphasized the scale of China’s military advancements and their implications for global power dynamics. Aquilino, speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee, highlighted China’s burgeoning military capabilities, stating, “the world’s largest Navy, soon to be the world’s largest Air Force,” in reference to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). His comments underscored the magnitude of the challenge posed by China’s military modernization efforts.
Aquilino’s remarks drew attention to the significant number of warplanes possessed by each country’s military. According to the Pentagon’s 2023 report on Chinese military power, the PLA Air Force and Navy collectively possess over 3,150 aircraft. This revelation underscores the substantial growth of China’s aerial capabilities, particularly in the production of advanced fighters.
Comparatively, the U.S. Air Force maintains approximately 4,000 non-trainer, non-drone aircraft, with additional aircraft across other branches of the military. While the U.S. currently holds a numerical advantage, China’s increased production capacity for advanced fighters suggests a significant upward trajectory in its air force capabilities.
Despite this, the U.S. Air Force faces challenges in maintaining its size to effectively meet global responsibilities, particularly in light of the evolving threat posed by China. The current strategy prioritizes reducing airpower capacity to invest in more advanced systems in the future. The aim is to retire older aircraft to make way for newer, more sophisticated ones, thus enhancing overall capability.
However, this strategy relies heavily on uncertain funding from Congress, raising concerns about its feasibility and sustainability, particularly regarding maintaining numerical superiority over adversaries like China. Such concerns are compounded by China’s strategic use of regional missile capabilities to potentially neutralize major U.S. military bases and allies’ bases, disrupting the deployment of advanced U.S. warplanes.
China’s advancements in military aviation, including the increased production of advanced fighter jets like the J-20, signify its commitment to enhancing indigenous military capabilities. Despite this progress, Chinese military aircraft are often perceived as technologically inferior to their U.S. counterparts. Anil Chopra, a retired Indian Air Marshal, has cast doubt on the performance of the J-20’s radar and electronic warfare suite, highlighting China’s lag in avionics technology compared to the West.
However, China’s anticipated increase in production rates, coupled with progress in developing homegrown engines, could propel it ahead in military aviation. The PLA Air Force’s strategic targeting of critical air bases aims to nullify the advantage of advanced U.S. warplanes, particularly in potential conflicts over Taiwan.
China’s extensive arsenal of anti-ship ballistic missiles poses a significant challenge to U.S. naval operations, particularly in the Taiwan Strait. Moreover, the reduction in the number of F-22s, initiated by the U.S. Air Force in 2009, increases vulnerability in potential conflicts with China, where the F-22 plays a crucial role in maintaining aerial dominance.
Aquilino’s testimony underscores the evolving dynamics of global military power, with China’s ambitious modernization efforts posing significant challenges to U.S. military superiority. While the U.S. maintains certain qualitative advantages, such as larger vessels in its naval fleet and technologically advanced aircraft, the sheer scale and strategic advancements of China’s military cannot be underestimated. As tensions persist in regions like the Indo-Pacific, the balance of power continues to shift, necessitating careful consideration of future military strategies and investments.
