How to Revive US Air Power Dominance |
Rebuilding America’s industrial base is a major theme of the Trump administration—and China’s ability to deliver more than 200 fighter aircraft a year makes the urgency unmistakable for the military. The 2026 National Security Strategy (NSS) echoes that theme, clearly stating the need to rebuild our military and renew the defense industrial base required to deter conflict in the Indo-Pacific.
Deterring Chinese aggression against the First Island Chain (Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and the surrounding islands) depends on Beijing believing that any offensive operation it could mount would likely fail against the US military. That task would rely primarily on airpower, and the most critical—yet often overlooked—capability required to thwart such a move is the US fighter engine industrial base.
To fully realize America’s deterrence goals against China, the United States must urgently accelerate the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program, which will deliver the capabilities required for our next-generation fighters.
Over the last 15 years, China has elevated and transformed its military into a true peer rival of the United States. Its military-industrial complex now outproduces every other nation by a significant margin, delivering more than 100 fifth-generation J-20s and more than 140 fourth-plus-generation J-10, J-16, and J-20 aircraft each year.
Since 2010, every frontline fighter unit in the........