Operation Epic Loss: Is America Ready for China?

Iran exposed the fragility beneath American air dominance. Beijing is studying every loss. When the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026, Washington anticipated swift, overwhelming dominance. The arithmetic seemed straightforward: the world’s most advanced air force against a sanctions-hobbled regional power.

The Myth of Invulnerability

The losses span the full architecture of American air power. According to the CRS report, they include four F-15E Strike Eagles, one F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, an A-10 Thunderbolt II, seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft, an E-3 Sentry airborne early warning aircraft, two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft, 24 MQ-9 Reaper drones, and an MQ-4C Triton high-altitude surveillance drone. Some of these platforms are no longer in production and therefore irreplaceable in the near term. The report assessed that, “it is unclear how the extent of aircraft losses may affect DOD’s ability to meet current operational requirements, maintain global force posture, and respond to unforeseen contingencies”.

No single loss carries more strategic weight than the damage to the F-35A. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi seized on the CRS findings immediately, claiming Iran was “first to strike down a touted F-35” and warning of “many more surprises” should hostilities resume. For two decades, the F-35 program has been sold to allies and adversaries alike as a........

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