The latest national defense news is that China will build its fourth aircraft carrier while the U.S. Navy remains stuck in the procurement process and the U.S. Air Force size will be the smallest it has ever been this year.
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According to South China Morning Post Yuan Huazhi said that the PLA Navy’s political commissar, Yuan Huazhi stated last week that China will announce its 4th aircraft carrier soon. He also claimed that he had not heard of any “technical blockade” regarding aircraft carriers, indicating the progress was on track.
A report by Popular Mechanics suggests that the ship’s name is still unknown, but that it is China’s first-ever nuclear-powered vessel. The Communist China Navy would then be able to join an exclusive club to which only the U.S. Navy belongs today. This would be a “major milestone in ship development” and “key to projecting Chinese military power abroad.”
The production of Ford-class carriers is behind schedule and over budget. There’s little room for errors. Bryan McGrath said that the Navy’s plan to delay production by two years would result in layoffs and further reduce shipbuilding capability.
This development will have a major impact on the production of aircraft carriers. It will also have a significant effect on the submarine industry as many parts suppliers for aircraft carriers are also providers of components for submarines.
Under Secretary, Erik Raven said in a Defense News report this week that funding would be maintained for nine out of ten Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines in the five-year procurement plan. At this time, we are unable to meet our own needs.
Joe Biden has broken Donald Trump’s pledge to increase the Navy from 355 ships to 450. Ronald Reagan had nearly 600 ships and the oceans haven’t shrunk.
Air and Space Forces reported that the Air Force intends to retire 250 aircraft in 2019. Air and Space Forces report that the Air Force plans to retire 250 aircraft next year. ”
The new B-21 Raider stealth bomber is an example of a positive development. The B-21 Raider stealth bomber is a bright spot.
The Wall Street Journal editorial of Tuesday concluded that the U.S. Military was in a controlled decline. “U.S. Defense expenditures will drop to 2.4% GDP by 2034. It is a decrease from the 3.1% estimate for this year. This is half of what the U.S. spent on rearmament in the 1980s when it spent almost 6% to win the Cold War.
The USSR’s financial strength is far less than that of Xi Jinping’s China.
We still have the upper hand when it comes down to competing against China as a Great Power. China is encouraged by our lack of seriousness to take risks that it wouldn’t dare to take with a serious competitor like us.