US Air Force Chief ‘Hyper-Focused’ on Growing China Challenge in Pacific

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The head of the US Air Force remains very focused on the growing challenge and assertiveness of China’s military air power over the Western Pacific and toward Japan and Taiwan, Gen. Charles Brown told a Defense One conference podcast.

"I am still hyper-focused on the capabilities of the PRC [People’s Republic of China] and how they are operating increased capability in some of their platforms [and on] their propensity to fly over the water a bit more and challenge in areas around the region," Brown said on Tuesday.

China had significantly stepped up its flights in international waters testing the responsiveness and speeds of reaction not only of the US Air Force, but also the air defenses of Taiwan and Japan, Brown said.

"They challenge [air defenses] around Taiwan in internal air space every day. … It’s not just Taiwan: Japan sees some of the same thing," he said.

In this photo taken and released Friday, May 25, 2018, by the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense, a Taiwanese Air Force fighter aircraft, left, flies near a Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) bomber that reportedly flew over the Luzon Strait south of Taiwan.

© AP Photo

US forces on Guam were also observing the "increased tempo" of longer range operations by the PLA Air Force to see how American units responded and reacted, Brown added.