The Chinese air force is estimated to have 180 fourth-generation fighters at bases close to the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, as opposed to 20 for Japan. The islands could be a flash point for a future military conflict between the two nations. | CFP/GETTY/KYODO
David Axe, War Is Boring: Why a Chinese blitzkrieg would seriously mess up the U.S. Air Force
In 2017, immediately defeating a surge of Chinese warplanes attacking Taiwan will require around 2,200 combat-ready U.S. fighter jets — a full two-thirds of all fighters in the American inventory. That's the main conclusion of a new briefing paper from RAND, a California think tank.
RAND points out that the Pentagon has more and better fighters than China — and superior pilots, too. But over Taiwan, geography favors the People's Liberation Army. "China does not need to catch up fully to the United States to challenge the U.S. ability to conduct effective military operations near the Chinese mainland."
WNU Editor: The U.S. appears to be very confident that they would be able to handle China's air force. Maybe .... and maybe not.
5 comments:
I think that they forgot to account for the scores of Chinese aircraft that would be lost to surface to air missiles
Also the dozens of air and sea launched cruise missiles taking away chinese airbases worhin range.
2200 aircraft what a upbeat reminds me when 91 iraq was described as worlds 4th most powerful military where in the end israrl on its iwn cpuld have defeated them or at the very least forced the withdraw from kuwait ( as far military power pilots etc not taking into account logistocs such as refuelling etc.)
fazman,
You are forgetting the Chinese ADW, so Okinawa, Japan and Taiwan airbases are also gone, along with a couple of Carrier Task Forces.
It's hard to fight a local war in the South China Sea via tanker reals out of Hawaii , Diego Garcia and San Diego.
Im thinking the agesis cruisers airwarefare destroyers will be a pretty good goal keeper .
fazman,
Depends, right.
If everybody is throwing everything,
Hard to say how it works out in the end.
You're right either way l love lemon chicken and beef in black bean sauce :)
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