US Air Force general says more sophisticated fighter jets are needed to deter China

The US has lost its “conventional overmatch” to maintain deterrence over China’s air force, a senior US Air Force general warned on Wednesday as he urged the Pentagon to keep upgrading its fighter jets.

General Mark Kelly, the head of the Air Combat Command, which is primarily responsible for Air Force combat forces, said the People’s Liberation Army air force had nearly caught up to the US Air Force through the rapid deployment of better aircraft with greater capabilities.