15×Trump Class are planned

Furthermore, Burkes will be abused even further

SECDEF Pete Hegseth, previously a chief advocate for the cancellation, says his Department’s “mindset” has now fundamentally changed.

Sounds like an alcoholic weekend news anchor realized after his ballistic missile defense radars got hit said, "Hey guys, maybe we do need an agile radar back up to aid such defense?"

>“That [the $17 billion estimated unit cost of a Trump class warship] is the early initial estimate. We’ll see where we really settle down as we get through that and start to rationalize some of the costs. So let’s see where we land on that first ship, and then what the economies of scale get us to as we move through it,” former Secretary of the Navy John Phelan had also told reporters at a roundtable on the sidelines of the Navy League’s Sea Air Space 2026 exposition on April 21. “I think a little bit with those numbers, they’re still moving around, because this question is it nuclear-powered, is it not nuclear-powered?”

>“It could be [nuclear powered], but it’s unlikely, but it could be,” Phelan said at that time. “I think we’re trying to understand all the proper trade-offs.”

>Phelan was fired unexpectedly and with little explanation the following day, with veteran Navy officer Hung Cao taking over as Acting Secretary.

Reads like a comedy.

America’s Air Superiority Is Losing Altitude

China, focused on beating the U.S. is on pace to build the first sixth-generation stealth fighters.

By U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R) and Jeanne Shaheen (D)

Free link: https://archive.ph/1eBHM

Since the turn of the century, the U.S. military has dominated the skies. With unmatched speed, stealth and sensors, our fighter aircraft have achieved air superiority in every modern conflict and proved that air power is the fastest, most flexible and most lethal means to project combat power. But the future of American air power is uncertain.

The U.S. is losing its decisive edge over China, which is on pace to field the world’s first sixth-generation stealth fighters. The Chinese J-36 and J-50 first flew in 2024, while America’s F-47 isn’t expected to fly until 2028 and won’t enter operational service until the mid-2030s. As part of its historic military buildup, China is eclipsing the U.S. in aircraft production.

We need a national mobilization of our industrial base to counter China and maintain control of the air.

Over the past few decades, presidents and Congress made policy decisions and budgetary cuts that minimized U.S. military aviation power. Industrial consolidation hollowed out America’s capacity to guarantee aerial dominance. The F-22 stealth fighter program was shuttered after producing only 187 aircraft, well short of the initial 750-aircraft plan. Republican and Democratic administrations alike have overseen the Air Force’s total fighter fleet reduction from 4,100 in 1990 to 2,000 in 2024. Only 1,300 are now combat-coded—a record low.

Our current aircraft are aging beyond repair. The legacy KC-135 tanker aircraft are more than 60 years old. The Air Force fighter fleet now averages over 27 years old, with an operational rate of only around 50%. Spare parts shortages and a shrinking number of suppliers amplify these challenges.

All of this is compounded by a human-capital crisis in pilot training and aircrew retention. Over the past decade, flight hours for new aviators have declined from more than 200 to 150 a year, attempting to get pilots to operational units earlier. Midcareer pilots continue to seek civilian opportunities at a time when their expertise is needed most. The result is a dangerous mismatch—a historically ancient fleet with poor readiness rates, using pilots flying at record-low rates.

By contrast, China is undergoing a national mobilization of its military-industrial complex—with its defense spending increasing 13-fold over 30 years as of 2024—fielding advanced fighters at a rate that could outpace America’s by nearly 200% by 2027. The Chinese are focused on usurping the interests and security of America and its allies, and they see their military as the key tool for national prominence. They are building up their air force to ensure they can dominate Taiwan and discourage Western involvement in the Indo-Pacific.

Ceding control of the air, through poor procurement choices and insufficient investment in human capital, would be a strategic failure. Washington needs to take three steps:

First, give suppliers the certainty they need to expand production lines. A multiyear procurement authorization for the F-35 and F-15EX fighters would lock in production stability, reduce cost per aircraft, and supercharge our defense industrial base. A healthy supplier requires a predictable customer. Multiyear procurement authority provides assured demand and provides an incentive for the defense industrial base to invest in needed supplier capacity.

Second, set higher standards for the quality and quantity of our fighter fleets. Congress should fund a 50% increase in fighter fleets by 2035 so that the U.S. can prevail in any great-power conflict. Preparing for a war in which every aircraft counts will require breathing new life into these programs and expanding production for aircraft like the F-15EX.

Third, give better support to the Americans who fight in the air. That means expanding incentives to keep experienced aviators in uniform, including bonuses, career flexibility and quality-of-life programs—practical steps to win the talent competition against our adversaries. America’s war fighters will always be our advantage. Investing in them is investing in winning.

For too long, U.S. air dominance has been taken for granted—but it isn’t an American birthright. Given China’s advances, it is time for a renewed bipartisan focus on the skies.

Mr. Budd, a North Carolina Republican, and Ms. Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, are members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Free article link: https://archive.ph/FanY1

China Fighter Jet Giant’s Sales Surge After India-Pakistan Clash

China’s AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Co., maker of the fighter jets that rose to fame in the India-Pakistan conflict last year, posted record profit in 2025 and saw first-quarter sales nearly double.

Revenue rose 15.8% to 75.4 billion yuan ($11 billion) in 2025, with profit up 6.5% to 3.4 billion yuan, the jetmaker said in a statement Tuesday night. Both are the highest-ever for the Chengdu-based company, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. First-quarter sales rose almost 80% on year, it added.

AVIC Chengdu’s single-engine, multi-role J-10 fighters were battle-tested in May last year, when Pakistan claimed to have shot down multiple Indian aircraft, including French-made Rafale jets. One of China’s largest defense companies by market capitalization, AVIC Chengdu attributed 2025’s outperformance to a reorganization of assets that now includes the jetmaking business.

Its shares rose roughly 2% in Shenzhen on Wednesday morning, the most in more than two weeks.

The Chinese company’s international profile has risen since Pakistan praised the performance of its J-10s, and of the JF-17 jets which are jointly produced by AVIC Chengdu and Pakistan.

The conflict marked one of the first times that high-tech Chinese weapons were tested in real combat. India acknowledged losing aircraft in the fighting, without specifying a number, and said it also destroyed several Pakistani planes, which Islamabad denies.

Read More: Pakistan Hails Role of Chinese Jets in Repelling India Strikes

Since then, AVIC Chengdu’s fighter jets have attracted attention from the developing world. Indonesia at one point signaled interest in acquiring the J-10s, while Iraq, Bangladesh and Indonesia have expressed interest in acquiring the JF-17 Thunder.

Read More: Pakistan Faces Crunch as Demand for China-Developed Jets Surges

Growing arms sales is a priority, AVIC Chengdu said in an investor Q&A last week. The company, which also produces the fifth-generation J-20 fighter, in February signed a deal with its home city of Chengdu, in the southwestern province of Sichuan, to expand aerospace production.

AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Co., which makes the fifth-generation J-35, last month reported 2025 sales of 44.7 billion yuan. Profit was 3.5 billion yuan, up 3.7% from 2024.

AVIC Shenyang, which attributed the higher profit to a rise in sales, is also expanding its manufacturing facilities. A new factory is expected to start mass production this year, according to the government of Liaoning where AVIC Shenyang is based.

Both AVIC Chengdu and AVIC Shenyang are sanctioned by the US.