US air supremacy at stake

For decades, the US military has benefited from air superiority as a result of the Pentagon's billions of dollars in investments in advanced warplanes, weapons systems, satellites, and aircraft carriers.

However, US military experts and leaders warn that Washington "may not be able to continue to always rely on its air superiority", due to the acceleration of steps to modernize the Chinese army, according to a report by the "Voice of America" ​​website.

The report recalled statements made by General Charles Brown Jr., Chief of Staff of the Air Force, during the Air Force Association conference last month, in which he said that the Chinese military had what he called "the largest aviation force in the Pacific" and that Beijing had developed it "under our noses."

Brown predicted that China could overcome US air supremacy by 2035.

At the same event, General Clinton Henot, the deputy chief of staff, warned that the United States was not keeping pace with China's progress.

"In a few important areas, we are behind. This is not tomorrow's problem, this is today," he said, referring to the need to remedy this shortfall.

Henot told reporters that China has taken note of the US air force's developments, and warned that "the light is flashing red."

Last week, China sent nearly 150 warplanes, including its most advanced J-16 fighter jets and H-6 bombers, to the Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone, in a display of its military might.

“They collect packages of fighter jets, in particular the J-16, and they are moving in large numbers,” said Eric Higginbotham, principal research scientist at the Met Center for International Studies.

But there are important developments taking place on the US air fleet, most notably the LMXT tanker, which represents a qualitative leap in the field of supplying warplanes in the midst of an armed conflict.

The LMXT tanker provides the ability for the US Air Force to refuel in the air on long-range flights, which would greatly assist the US Air Force in any potential conflict with a country such as China.

The National Interest magazine said that Lockheed Martin has been able to develop this tanker, which is somewhat similar to civil aircraft, as US Air Force officials have identified specific scenarios that require pumping fuel during flights in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific region, according to what Ken Moss, project manager at Lockheed Martin revealed to the magazine.

Moss explained that the LMXT is extremely flexible, as it can handle the support of joint work teams in flights, as it saves fuel and is considered an important safe point of contact during operations.

He pointed out that this tanker provides fuel for aircraft in order to allow them to participate in combat operations, with the possibility of carrying heavy munitions in certain scenarios.

This tanker can also be treated as an important aircraft to provide support to fleets of remotely piloted aircraft.

He explained that this military aircraft is considered a multi-role for fuel and transport delivery, and will be equipped to meet all requirements of the Air Force, including those of NATO partners.

Moss stated that this tanker provides a safe and flexible central control unit that can be used in combat operations, noting that it also has the ability to supply fuel to any aircraft equipped with standard equipment.

The tanker carries about 25,000 pounds of additional fuel from special tanks, in addition to the fuel it carries to operate the aircraft.