Is China planning a Pearl Harbor-style attack on Taiwan?

For years, Chinese military planning assumed that any attack by the People’s Liberation Army on Taiwan or a disputed island would have to begin with a Pearl Harbor-style preemptive missile strike by China against U.S. forces in Japan and Guam.

Will China ever defeat itself?

Chinese navy J-15s on the aircraft carrier ‘Liaoning.’ The U.S. military increasingly has one overriding preoccupation: Figuring out how to deter China or, in the event of war in the western Pacific, defeat it. But it’s possible that, in time, China will defeat itself.

Why is China seizing the narrative opportunity in the US?

Beijing has seized the narrative opportunity provided by American disarray, its state media and diplomats regularly reminding a global audience of the superiority of Chinese efforts and criticizing the “irresponsibility and incompetence” of the “so-called political elite in Washington,” as the state-run Xinhua news agency put it in an editorial.

Can China knock out Taiwan’s air defense system in a first strike?

As Beckley points out, there is little reason to believe that China would be able to knock out all of these defenses in a surprise first strike. To begin with, Taiwan has sophisticated early warning air defense systems.

Does Taiwan have any missiles that can hit China?

For hitting back at China, Taiwan fields Wan Chien air-launched cruise missiles and Yun Feng ground-launched cruise missiles. The Yun Feng, a product of Taiwan’s own National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, poses the greater threat to China. The Yun Feng’s effective range.

Why was the F-117 made an attack aircraft instead of fighter?

Strictly speaking, the F-117 was an attack aircraft rather than a fighter. It was intended to drop bombs, not engage in aerial combat. However, Gen. Robert J. Dixon at Tactical Air Command believed that an “F” (for fighter) designation would be more attractive to the best pilots better than would an “A” (for attack).

Does the US Air Force need new stealth fighters?

US allies in Europe and the Pacific are partners in the stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. For its stealth fighter needs, the US Air Force will rely on a mix of F-35s and a smaller number of older but even more capable F-22 Raptors. A new stealth bomber is in development.