Menik acknowledged the historical context, noting that U.S.
air superiority has been challenged before, citing instances during the Korean
and Vietnam Wars where "air dominance was not what we would like to
see." He emphasized, "But we went after it, we focused, we took after
it, and now today, the U.S. has air dominance. But there are no question,
coming under threat.”
The Secretary underscored the urgency, stating, “The only
way we're going to maintain our own advantage is we have to innovate, and we
have to innovate faster than our adversaries. And it's not just against China.”
This focus on outpacing competitors will be his primary drive for the next
three and a half years, Menik said.
To counter these emerging challenges, Menik highlighted
three critical areas for improvement: modernization, readiness, and people.
Modernization
On modernization, he pointed to programs like the new F-47
fighter as examples of ongoing efforts, stressing that advancements extend
beyond just airframes. However, he expressed significant concern regarding
readiness.
Readiness
"I knew there was a readiness challenge. I didn't
appreciate how significant that readiness challenge was," Menik admitted.
He cited observing "aircraft non-operational sitting around the ramp that
aren't even being worked on, because we simply don't have the parts to do that,
that's a problem. We have to fix that.” He further criticized the quality of
some contractor-supplied components, noting, “We need to work with the
contractors where we're getting a part that's supposed to last 400 hours and it
last 100 hours, that's unacceptable.” Menik warned that without intervention,
the U.S. risks "maintaining aircraft properly that are 100 years old on
the path we’re on.”
Zero Concern
Despite these challenges, Menik expressed strong confidence
in the Air Force and Space Force personnel. He proudly stated, “The Air Force
doesn't have a recruiting problem. We met our recruiting goals three months
earlier this year.” He added, “I have zero concern about the ability of the
department to employ combat power. We have the best training, most talented
workforce Air Force and Space Force has ever had.” The remaining challenge, he
clarified, is "how do we make sure they have the tools at the mass and
scale that we need to be successful in maintaining our advantage and turning
all aggressive.”
