Author: Kris Osborn

China’s new H-20 bomber may look like a carbon copy of the B-2, but it’s a reminder that in the race for air dominance, mimicry can still pose a real threat to U.S. defenses.

China’s growing naval power, particularly with the Fujian aircraft carrier and Type 075 amphibious assault ships, mirrors U.S. capabilities and signals an evolving threat to the Pacific, yet its lack of sea-launched 5th-generation aircraft leaves a glaring weakness in the face of U.S. and allied air superiority.

The Navy’s move to deploy hypersonic missiles from submarines by 2028 not only escalates its tactical capabilities but also ensures the U.S. maintains a stealthy, lethal edge beneath the waves, especially as China races ahead with its own advanced hypersonic arsenal.

Russia’s Yasen-M subs will launch hypersonic Zircon missiles by 2025, raising the stakes in maritime warfare with stealth strikes.

The US F-22 fighter fleet was cut short, but software upgrades now keep it ready for air dominance with first-strike capabilities.

China’s military is stepping up its game, linking drones across services for coordinated strikes—pushing the limits of multi-domain warfare.

The Red Sands exercise showcased a striking fusion of cutting-edge robotics and tried-and-true firepower, highlighting the relentless march toward a future where humans and machines fight side by side, but always with a human finger on the trigger.

Russia’s Su-27 Flanker and its advanced variants, like the Su-35, continue to shape the nation’s airpower, blending older design elements with cutting-edge 5th-generation-inspired technologies, but still fall short of achieving air superiority.

Israel’s F-35I Adir jets are equipped with domestically produced electronic warfare systems and weapons, designed to counter regional threats like Iran’s advanced air defenses and guided weapon systems, giving the Israeli Air Force a distinct advantage in modern warfare.

Despite its surface fleet’s limitations, Russia’s advanced submarine classes like the Yasen and Borei present a formidable undersea threat, rivaling U.S. dominance with cutting-edge quieting technologies and nuclear capabilities that demand serious attention.

The future of air warfare will not just be about cutting-edge machines, but about the seamless integration of AI-driven drones and human decision-making in a “family of systems” that outmaneuvers any adversary before they even see it coming.

The looming question is not whether Israel will strike back, but how decisively it will leverage its superior air power and precision capabilities to neutralize Iran’s growing ballistic threat, even as regional politics complicate the logistics of such an operation.