Since taking his post as Air Force secretary over the summer, Frank Kendall has identified China as his top priority and touted the development of advanced weaponry to counter Beijing. On Saturday, Kendall said the Air Force should retire old aircraft that wouldn’t be useful in a conflict with China.
“If it doesn’t threaten China, why are we doing it?” Kendall said at the Reagan National Defense Forum. Kendall mentioned some aircraft he thinks have to go, including some C-130 cargo planes, the A-10 Warthog, and the MQ-9 Reaper drone, which has been used to carry out drone strikes across the Middle East over the past two decades.
Kendall said China has been focusing on its own modernization efforts to counter advanced US assets. The aging warplanes, Kendall said, is an “anchor holding back the Air Force.”
With the Pentagon now focused on China, it’s common for US military leaders to hype up Beijing’s capabilities to justify more spending. Back in August, Kendall said he would like to see the military develop the types of weapons that would “scare China” and pointed to the B-21, a heavy bomber that is currently being developed by Northrop Grumman.
“I think that’s going to be something that will be intimidating, it’s going to be very capable. And there are a few others like that that are coming down the pipeline,” Kendall said of the B-21. “But I think we have to be continuously thinking about other things that will be intimidating to our future enemies.”
This guy wins the palm for inanity. No small thing in the pol swamp.
“I think that’s going to be something that will be intimidating, it’s going to be very capable. And there are a few others like that that are coming down the pipeline,” Kendall said of the B-21. “But I think we have to be continuously thinking about other things that will be intimidating to our future enemies.”
Ah yes, thinking of future enemies. Was this piece of work approved or appointed? Either way, it proves we are fucking insane.
If only there was a way to prevent a major war between two major trading partners. [Assuming this military rivalry is nonfiction.]
This is all about transferring more dollars to MICC corporations for equipment and munitions, that most likely will never be used in a major war, instead used on civilian populations in small nations that defy ZIONATO ambitions.
Kendall says the Air Force should retire old aircraft. Wouldn’t people on this planet be better off if the US retired our primitive way of thinking like intimidation, and the use of force and bullying and fear mongering etc, is the best way to deal with our fellow man. We are soon going to celebrate the birth of the one that the whole earth acknowledges at least for one day and yet we are so blind we don’t even realize we are totally in opposition to his teachings. We claim to be his yet our actions make a mockery of our faith and the lord himself. We should put a muzzle on guys like Kendall.
I can just see the B-21 flying high altitude stealth missions over Somalia, dropping $10M bombs. No tent or water well will be safe from our bombs.