The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Rebuilding American Airpower: Balancing the Air Force’s Combat Forces for Peer Conflict
English Summary
The Mitchell Institute argues that the U.S. Air Force requires a comprehensive modernization effort to maintain a balanced force mix capable of defeating a peer adversary in high-intensity conflict. This necessity is underscored by a wargame comparing alternative force designs for 2035, which informed the recommendations. Strategically, the report urges Congress and the Department of Defense to make difficult choices regarding future force design. Policy must prioritize investments in fifth-generation combat aircraft, autonomous systems, and advanced guided munitions to ensure the service can simultaneously defend the homeland and deter major power aggression.
中文摘要
米切爾研究所（Mitchell Institute）認為，美國空軍必須進行全面性的現代化努力，以維持一套平衡的戰力結構，從而在高強度衝突中擊敗同級對手。這項必要性是基於一場比較2035年替代戰力設計的戰役模擬（wargame）所強調的，該模擬結果也為本報告的建議提供了依據。從戰略角度來看，本報告敦促國會和國防部就未來戰力設計做出艱難的抉擇。政策制定必須優先投資於第五代戰鬥機、自主系統和先進的精導彈藥，以確保空軍能夠同時防禦本土並威懾主要大國的侵略。
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