In addition to the United States Air Force and Naval Air Forces, the air arms of China should not underestimate the US Air National Guard, which operates 585 fighters, 185 aerial refueling aircraft and 207 transports, according to overseas Chinese-language news outlet Duowei News.
The US Air National Guard is considered important because it can funnel reserve airmen to frontline units, an advantage that is more critical than one might suppose. With the improvement of technology in the last seven decades, US pilots need lengthier training to be able to operate today’s advanced military aircraft, making manpower more of an issue than, say, WWII.
Currently, fighter pilots from China’s PLA Air Force frontline units have more flight hours than those in the US Air Force. However, citizen pilots serving the US Air National Guard from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands, surpass their Chinese counterparts in flight hours. In addition, they all have experience flying the military’s most advanced aircraft. The Air National Guard is equipped with 20 F-22 fifth-generation stealth fighters.
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