Air Force Secretary highlights China’s growing threat and the imperative for swift modernization.

In a powerful and sobering address earlier this week, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall laid out a detailed tutorial on why China has emerged as America’s preeminent security threat.

Kendall’s Urgent Call for Modernization and Great Power Competition Awareness

Speaking at the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space, and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Kendall emphasized the need for rapid modernization and adaptation within the Air Force and Space Force to safeguard the nation’s security and interests.

Kendall’s speech held particular significance as it coincided with the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which profoundly shaped America’s security focus. He highlighted the imperative to shift from a counterterrorism-centric posture to one that recognizes the emerging competition among “great powers.”