In California, the military is training local leaders and simulating attacks on critical infrastructure, warning that Beijing\u2019s first strike could strike the \u201cheart\u201d of American aerospace power. The nightmare of a US-China war is no longer a theory; it is a date that is counting down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US is \u201ctesting\u201d the dark scenario of California!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, the US military is preparing for the possibility of Chinese strikes in California and is warning local authorities. Earlier this month, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Doug Wickert summoned local government leaders to Edwards Air Force Base in California to inform them that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf China attacks Taiwan in the next few years, you should be prepared for the region to experience very large-scale disruption, right from the start.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a briefing note posted on the base\u2019s social media pages and a related press release, Wickert\u2014one of the U.S.\u2019s most experienced test pilots and now commander of the 412th Fighter Wing\u2014described China\u2019s rapidly growing military power and its preparations for a major conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reconfiguring weapons factories<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As he explained, the most advanced American aircraft being built in California\u2019s greater Aerospace Valley\u2014including the B-21 Raider bomber, which will replace the B-2\u2014are critical to deterring Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if deterrence fails, Wickert warned that China will likely strike the United States\u2014including the nearby Northrop Grumman factories that build these strategic aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n U.S. military engineers are already working feverishly to rebuild runways, some dating back to World War II, in the Philippines and at various locations in the Western Pacific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n China dominates from the Arctic to space – The US in a historic survival test<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, American generals warn that the US empire is creaking dangerously \u2014 not just geopolitically, but now militarily as well. As Beijing invests massively in cutting-edge technologies, drones, naval power and cutting-edge weapons programs, Washington is drowning in a crisis of \u201creadiness\u201d and productive weakness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The US military leadership publicly admits that it can no longer keep up with the speed and ambition of Xi Jinping, while the People\u2019s Republic of China is pushing all limits in the race for global strategic dominance. The era of unipolar Western dominance is ending \u2014 and ending with a bang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n US at crossroads as China reshapes global military landscape<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n During a high-level meeting of the Council on Foreign Relations in Manhattan on May 19, top US military leaders delivered a clear and alarming message: the US military is at a historic crossroads. The global battlefield is transforming at breakneck speed as new technologies, emerging authoritarian powers and, most importantly, the People\u2019s Republic of China\u2019s rapid military modernization are upending geostrategic relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe battlefield is changing as fast as the technology in your pocket. In every domain\u2014from space to the sea, the sky to the Arctic ice\u2014the common thread was clear: If the US does not adapt quickly, it risks being drawn into a new era of strategic competition. And in that equation, no threat looms larger than China.\u201d So said Gen. Randy A. George, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Chinese Challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The panel, which included senior officials from the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard, focused on the imperative for rapid adaptation amid a \u201creadiness crisis\u201d that has been developing for years. The primary concern: China\u2019s People\u2019s Liberation Army (PLA), which is steadily increasing its technological superiority and operational capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey are undoubtedly spending enormous resources to acquire capabilities,\u201d said Gen. David Allvin, the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Particular concern was expressed about Chinese advances in naval power, aerospace technology and integrated command and control systems. In response, the The Pentagon aims to accelerate the integration of both manned and unmanned platforms to maintain deterrence and ensure strategic superiority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The message from Manhattan was clear: the United States must evolve technologically, doctrinally, and operationally \u2014 or risk being left behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. Navy\u2019s Dilemma<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the U.S. Navy maintains a qualitative edge \u2014 better-trained crews, more sophisticated systems \u2014 its leaders are sounding the alarm about the volume of China\u2019s shipbuilding output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have no doubt about our ships or how we train them and how we use them. But in terms of quantity? That\u2019s the problem. Almost every class of ship we build is behind schedule,\u201d admitted Adm. James W. Kilby, the deputy chief of naval operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kilby expressed deep frustration with the inability of the U.S. industrial base to scale production, especially when China now has the world\u2019s largest navy in terms of ships and exceeds U.S. shipbuilding capacity by more than 200 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To bridge the gap, the U.S. Navy is turning to a \u201chybrid fleet\u201d \u2014 a mix of manned warships and unmanned surface, underwater, and aerial vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis approach has already paid off in Ukraine,\u201d Kilby noted. Continuing, \u201cThere is tremendous value in combining manned and unmanned assets. We are already experimenting with how to effectively integrate them into battle groups.\u201d As China advances, the U.S. Navy is betting on innovation, not just volume, to maintain dominance at sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Drone War: The U.S. and China in a Race for Air Dominance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Drone warfare is fundamentally reshaping modern conflict \u2014 and both the U.S. and China know it well. Beijing is deploying the Wing Loong and Chang Hong in conflict zones as well as export markets. In response, the U.S. is changing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. Air Force is moving away from aging autonomous systems and toward integrated human-machine teams designed for speed, precision, and lethality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At a recent Council on Foreign Relations event, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric Smith, outlined a shift in priorities: a focus on long-range precision strikes and unmanned reconnaissance platforms, at the expense of traditional artillery power. That\u2019s why the Marine Corps has invested heavily in systems like the MQ-9 Reaper \u2014 a long-endurance drone equipped with advanced sensors and targeted strikes capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Space: The New Line of Defense<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThreats to the homeland are increasing \u2014 perhaps more than at any time in a generation,\u201d warned Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, head of Space Operations, describing the new and ominous reality for the U.S. Space Force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking at a recent defense forum, Saltzman stressed that space is no longer a neutral haven. The PLA has developed sophisticated anti-satellite weapons designed to \u201cnullify\u201d U.S. access to satellite systems \u2014 systems that for decades have powered everything from military operations coordination to GPS and weather forecasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To address this rising threat, the Space Force is investing in \u201cGolden Dome\u201d \u2014 a next-generation initiative to defend the homeland from attacks originating in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Saltzman argued that the cost is justified by the seriousness of the stakes: \u201cWe must prepare for the worst day the United States could face \u2014 when adversaries unleash their most advanced weapons on us, even from orbit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the PLA turns space into a frontline of conflict, the US Space Force is accelerating to ensure that America is not caught off guard in the vast expanse of space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arctic: Ambitions on the Ice but Margins\u2026 Melting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, in the far North, US readiness in the Arctic is weakening, as Russia and China are systematically increasing their presence in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are at the lowest level of readiness since World War II,\u201d warned Adm. Kevin Lunday of the US Coast Guard, citing underfunding and a shortage of icebreakers and patrol ships. The Arctic, he stressed, is becoming a strategic theater \u2014 where US presence equals power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As an Arctic power, the US must strengthen its capabilities, with icebreakers at the core of that mission. The Coast Guard is actively seeking to expand its fleets to meet growing threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without immediate investment, Lunday noted, the US risks \u201cstrategic failure\u201d in a region critical to future trade routes, energy security and the geopolitical conflict between great powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Big Taiwan Issue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One date is increasingly appearing in military analyses: 2027 \u2014 as a potential point of escalation for Chinese action against Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Beijing has not announced an official timeline, U.S. military planners see it as a potential window for conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTime is of the essence,\u201d Kilby said. \u201cIt\u2019s a factor that is often underestimated \u2014 but it shouldn\u2019t be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Pentagon\u2019s response is not to prepare for a battle, but for a new type of war: fast, decentralized, and deeply interconnected across all domains. The Air Force\u2019s investments in unmanned systems, flexible bases, and mobility reflect this transition. \u201cThe war of the future is not about numbers \u2014 it\u2019s about speed and coherence,\u201d Gen. Allvin emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The American Advantage: Experience and Interoperability<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite China\u2019s rise, U.S. military leaders tout one major American advantage: battlefield experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur last war was recorded on an iPhone 14. Theirs is painted on oil and canvas,\u201d Gen. Smith quipped, noting the PLA\u2019s complete lack of combat experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast, American forces bring decades of hard-won knowledge from Iraq, Afghanistan, and beyond \u2014 and have proven their ability to operate together, across branches. That operational coherence, the generals say, remains a key advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can Asia Help? The Strategy of Collective Deterrence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Chinese aggression has achieved what diplomacy could not: it has brought the Indo-Pacific together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Tokyo to Manila, and from Canberra to New Delhi, regional powers are gradually aligning around a common concern \u2014 and a common opportunity. With the right investments and diplomatic maneuvers, Washington can harness this momentum to build a stronger, united front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No country can balance China alone. But together \u2014 through shared technology, shared training, and collective deterrence \u2014 the United States and its allies can shape a regional order based on stability and resilience. In the end, perhaps the most powerful weapon is not the missile or the drone \u2014 but unity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In California, the military is training local leaders and simulating attacks on critical infrastructure, warning that Beijing\u2019s first strike could strike the \u201cheart\u201d of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[836,3,2362,2845,7,826],"tags":[6991,6711,1920,161,2457,2028,6990,70],"class_list":["post-24487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-asia-geopolitical","category-geopolitical","category-military-science","category-military-strategy-doctrines","category-research","category-usa-geopolitical","tag-b21","tag-bombers","tag-california","tag-china","tag-pacific-ocean","tag-taiwan","tag-united-states","tag-usa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24487"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24489,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24487\/revisions\/24489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cThe conflicts of the future will be judged on range and detection,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n