Frank Kendall thought that the US military might have become too focused and skilled in fighting enemy groups with less organization.
Frank Kendall, who is in charge of the Air Force, is saying that the United States might not be ready for a fight with the People’s Republic of China.
Kendall said these things on September 11 during a major speech at the 2023 Air, Space, and Cyber Conference put on by the Air & Space Forces Association.
“Violent radical groups still pose a threat of attack, and we will deal with those risks as they happen. But China is by far our biggest problem in terms of speed,” Kendall said.
Kendall said, “Our job is to stop that war from happening and be ready to win if it does.” “Everyone is talking about how the Air and Space Forces need to change. If they don’t, we might not be able to stop a war and might even lose it.”
Kendall thinks that the U.S. military hasn’t gone up against the organized military of another country since September 11, 2001. Since then, the U.S. military has focused on and adapted to irregular warfare against terrorist groups.
“China has been re-optimizing its forces for more than 20 years in order to compete with the U.S. and win in the Western Pacific. Kendall said, “China has been building a military that is meant to help them reach their national goals even if the US stands in their way.”
But the Air Force secretary stressed that war is not guaranteed. Instead, he said that defense should be a top goal in the years to come.
Kendall said, “We need to look at how the Department of the Air Force is set up and how it works, and we need to be open to making big changes that meet the needs of the National Defense Strategy to deter China and Russia and, if necessary, beat them.”
He also said, “We must make sure the Air Force and Space Force are working at their best to provide integrated deterrence, help with campaigns, and make sure we have an advantage that lasts.”