5 Ways China’s PLA Air Force Will Soon Catch-Up on Sky Superiority of United States – Report

Apart from Russia in Europe, the United States will have to contend with the rising Asian power that is China and a new report indicates that Beijing's military build-up activities that started in the 1990s are paying off - the Chinese are fast closing the gap on the once unchallenged U.S. air might.

China's PLA Air Force is no longer in the inferior state that it was and is presently capable of slugging it out with a major power such as the United States, according to Kris Osborn of DefenseTech.org that pointed to a new Congressional review.

The review, Osborn said, underscored the five areas where America was once the undisputed air force leader but the Chinese could soon dominate.

Modern fleet

The report has estimated that China has inventory of around 2200 aircrafts that are ready for action anytime and a fourth of these combat planes are labelled as modern.

China's current line-up of fighter planes include the J-10 and J-11 plus the Russian-delivered Su-27 and Su-30. These units would readily meet the challenge that will pose by U.S. jet fighters, specifically the widely-used F/A-18.

The congressional committee report also sounded alarm on the likelihood that China will soon add the Su-35 on its increasing air power that would enable the country to boldly flash its air superiority over neighbouring states in the East and South China seas.

"The Su-35 is a versatile, highly capable aircraft that would offer significantly improved range and fuel capacity over China's current fighters," DefenseTech.org reported the review as saying.

Stealth sky operation

Prototype stealth aircrafts of China are mainly composed of the J-20 and the Shenyang FC-31 but the review has made clear that both planes' advantages over that of the U.S. F-35 remain undefined - meaning analysts are still establishing how the Chinese planes will outperform their American counterpart.

But what is scary, the review said, is the fact that stealth plane is no longer a U.S. monopoly and others could soon outpace the lone superpower on that respect.

Lethal air weapons

Not only that China has stepped up on its air force technology, the country also upgraded its air-to-air missiles.

"China over the last 15 years also has acquired a number of sophisticated short and medium-range air-to-air missiles; precision-guided munitions including all-weather, satellite-guided bombs, anti-radiation missiles, and laser-guided bombs; and long-range, advanced air-launched land-attack cruise missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles," the review said.

Improve reachability and project air power

The gigantic U.S. C-130 has long-been one of the symbols of America's air military might, which the review said could soon be eclipsed by China's Y-20 that reports said is fully capable of hauling in and delivering loads that are thrice heavier than what the C-130 can.

But what really is more notable about the Y-20 is it can travel long distance and it can be reconfigured as a tanker, thus extending the reach of Chinese fighter planes. Its imposing figure also amplifies the impression of a growing China, militarily speaking.

Extended missile coverage

Though far from confirmed, the review is worried by the report that Beijing and Moscow would finalise a deal that would soon see the PLA Air Force acquiring S-400 surface-to-air-missiles. These SAMs, the report said, would empower the Chinese to shoot down threats from as far as Taiwan and the South China Sea.

When these air force advances are paired with its arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and other nuclear weapons, China no doubt is closing in on the United States.