Think Tank Calls for Major Expansion of US Air Force Fleet to Counter China

stlbeacon.org - 2/12/2026

A new policy paper by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies argues that the US Air Force must expand its fleet of next-generation combat aircraft substantially to deter or prevail in a potential conflict with China. Titled Strategic Attack: Maintaining the Air Force’s Capacity to Deny Enemy Sanctuaries, the report calls for procuring far more sixth-generation fighters and long-range stealth bombers than currently planned.

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