Senior Air Force officials told U.S. lawmakers that “time is running out” to modernize the Air Force to counter threats from China and other adversaries.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and military leaders from the Air Force and Space Forces shared a chilling warning Wednesday before a House committee.
“Time is my biggest concern. We are competing for military technology superiority with competent pacing,” Kendall told the House Armed Services Committee.
“The cushion is gone. We’re running out of time,” he said.
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Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman (left), Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Albin listen to opening remarks during the House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Air Force fiscal year 2025 budget request, Washington, DC, Wednesday. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)
On April 9, Kendall, along with other military leaders, warned that there would be “no turning back time” after this year’s budget is finalized in March 2024, rather than the start of the fiscal year on October 1, 2023. did.
“As you know, the six-month delay has had a significant impact. We can’t get that time back, but at least we can move forward with our urgent modernization priorities,” Kendall said.
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall will testify Wednesday before the Department of the Air Force’s House Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)
In a departure from his prepared remarks, Kendall cited Iran’s recent attack on Israel as a timely example of the need for the United States to prepare for possible future attacks.
“What Iran faced was a highly contested environment. And what we faced with China was a highly contested environment,” Kendall said at the attack committee on April 13, against Israel. Almost all of the weapons fired were intercepted by the coalition.Also included the United States
“What I’m dedicated to, and what all of us here are dedicated to, is making sure that the United States never ends up like what Iran did when it tried to attack Israel,” Kendall said. said. “That’s what’s driving a lot of what we’re doing, going from legacy systems that aren’t designed for that kind of environment to legacy systems that are designed for that kind of environment and can handle it. That’s why it’s so important to transition.”
Gen. Chance Saltzman, director of space operations, testifies before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)
Mr. Kendall, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Albin, and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman jointly shared the need for immediate modernization in the face of China’s increased military activity.
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In explaining space plans and needs, Saltzman emphasized the importance of a robust Space Force.
“Space superiority is the lynchpin against a quasi-peer adversary. Without it, you cannot deter conflict. Without it, you cannot provide any significant effect. “Until we build the infrastructure to achieve that space advantage, we can’t protect the joint force,” he said.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Albin testifies Wednesday before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)
The Department of the Air Force has requested a $217.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2025, which begins Oct. 1.
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“The simultaneous demands of strategic competition with an increasingly aggressive and capable (China) and persistent and serious threats from around the world require the Air Force to win while maximizing the readiness of today’s forces. “We need to adapt our structures and processes to provide the best opportunity for economic growth in an environment of continued great power competition,” Allbin said, adding that “time is not on our side.”
