US to begin pulling air squadrons out of the Western Pacific as Taiwan tensions rise

The service is dealing with financial and confidence problems, with the situation possibly resulting in a smaller but still world-leading USAF, or could lead to it losing its position to China's People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).

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The US Navy is experiencing similar issues, with the Navy shrinking as China's fleet grows.

The Air Force's troubles stem from its decision to commit $250 billion annually to Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter project. The plane has been plagued by cost overruns, and instead of the planned 1,800 planes, the USAF has fewer than 500, Telegraph reports.

The USAF doesn't have enough new planes, causing it to extend the lifespan of older planes, which are now wearing out.

This situation has left the world's largest air force operating around 5,200 aircraft, 3,200 more than the PLAAF. While the Russian air force is losing planes in the Russia-Ukraine war, the Chinese air force is adding hundreds of new planes annually and could pose a risk to Taiwan.

The USAF is planning to remove over 600 fighters by 2030, including the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jet and the F-15C/D Eagle air-superiority fighter. The USAF is also expected to lose over 100 of its 220 powerful F-15E Strike Eagle fighter bombers, as well as 30 of its 180 F-22 Raptor stealth superfighters.

The retirement of old jets is not the only factor leading to the USAF's withdrawal from the Western Pacific.

Kadena airbase in Japan, currently the primary American fighter hub for a war over Taiwan, has been closed down by the USAF. Kadena is within range of hundreds of Chinese non-nuclear ballistic missiles, and a single missile could render the airbase unusable.

The USAF's solution is to remove permanently-based fighters from the Western Pacific and instead deploy them only when needed.

The USAF's fighter fleet could reduce from about 1,900 planes to 1,700 planes in the next few years. China's steady growth in airpower underscores the potential risk in this reduction, with China building a dozen or more J-20 stealth fighters every year, equivalent to America's F-35 and F-22 Raptor. Some 200 J-20s are thought to have been built so far.

The USAF's long-range bombers, including the new B-21 Raider, could be critical to the successful defense of Taiwan.