The primary mission of the U.S. Air Force is to establish and maintain air superiority. What's more, as adversaries such as China continue development of advanced stealth aircraft, gaining the ability to achieve air supremacy has become all the more important.
Speaking at the 2025 Air and Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colorado, Air Combat Command commander Air Force Gen. Ken Wilsbach stressed air superiority's role in modern warfare. Addressing the panel “Next-Generation Air Superiority: How Are We Going to Fight,” he essentially laid out the Air Force’s strategy for remaining on top of changing threats.
Wilsbach pointed to the need for air and space capabilities to work seamlessly together in order to continue this vital edge. He called it a key element of new warfare.
“Air and space superiority are complementary to each other,” he said. “You’re not going to get one without the other on today’s complicated battlefield.”
It includes advanced fighter jets, networked systems and other tools that aim to erode and outmaneuver adversaries. The USAF is allocating back and doubling down on these capabilities to maintain American air power supremacy.
“There are those that say air superiority is not as important as it once was,” he added. "I strongly disagree. It is still the bedrock of every military operation. And without it, mission objectives are almost unattainable.”
Although the U.S. military has not fought a major air campaign for decades, Wilsbach added that “it’s always important that we think ahead of the adversary,” which he said was what training for air war was all about.
“Today’s pilots don’t have direct combat experience in highly contested airspace,” he acknowledged. "But our emphasis is making sure they are prepared fully for that."
The secret to that readiness, he said, is regular maintenance of the aircraft and regular training in the air.
“If we can keep our aircraft flying and keep our pilots flying, they will create the response that is required from a combat perspective, skills and confidence,” Wilsbach said.
“We have a tiered approach, from basic training right up through to large exercises such as Red Flag in January 2025 and Bamboo Eagle in February 2025,” Wilsbach said. “This approach makes certain that airmen have stepwise skills development and are prepared for real world missions.”
But he also admitted the Air Force still faces hurdles when it comes to training efficiency, due to gaps in what can be resourced.
“We don’t have all of the tools we need in order to train at a level that’s maximally effective,” he acknowledged. “Although modernization efforts are bad, there are still some areas we have to work on.
Using lessons learned from recent conflicts, Wilsbach noted that if you can’t achieve air superiority, you may have a long, drawn out conflict and even a stalemate.
“If neither side gains air superiority, wars stagnate without a victor,” he said. “We have seen this in Ukraine and Israel — once air dominance is not established, conflicts get protracted and unpredictable.”
“The No. 1 thing we do is fly and maintain our aircraft,” he added. “We’ve struggled with the maintenance piece, which directly correlates with the number of sorties that we can fly. But how we train efficiently is something we really care about now.”
While new platforms and upgraded simulators are a ways away, Wilsbach challenged airmen to develop their skills through innovative training methodologies.
“We need to layer our effects — some of them kinetic, some of them non-kinetic, some of them deceptive,” he said. “This is how we train to prepare to fight any enemy, any time.”
“We have to have some high-cost precision weapons, a mix, and lower-cost options that can force our enemies to deplete their stocks,” he said. “We’ve talked a lot about very sophisticated, expensive weapon systems, and we need those, but we also need low-cost solutions to maintain long-term combat effectiveness.”
The Air Force could leave itself short of its requirements in a high-stakes fight, Wilsbach warned, if modernization efforts are not a coordinated plan.
“We face tough choices as we assess what China can do,” he said. “Doing nothing is no option,”
“I need airmen out in the field to be ready,” he said. “The HQ will do everything we can to drive progress from the top down, but I need airmen to meet us halfway and remain proactive in their individual training and preparedness.”
Lt. Gen. Dale White, military deputy for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, said as much. “The joint force relies on access, freedom of maneuver and deterrence,” he added.
“We’re moving toward a system that won’t require last-minute improvisation,” he said. “We want to ensure airmen are equipped and trained to be ready at all times[.]”
White agreed, saying that attitude is ‘fight tonight’—‘ready to go to war,’ he said, ‘at a moment's notice.’
Speaking at the 2025 Air and Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colorado, Air Combat Command commander Air Force Gen. Ken Wilsbach stressed air superiority's role in modern warfare. Addressing the panel “Next-Generation Air Superiority: How Are We Going to Fight,” he essentially laid out the Air Force’s strategy for remaining on top of changing threats.
Practice of Maintaining Control of the Skies
“Our whole joint force is contingent on air superiority,” Wilsbach said. “You can’t do anything else in the battlespace if you don’t own the skies.”Wilsbach pointed to the need for air and space capabilities to work seamlessly together in order to continue this vital edge. He called it a key element of new warfare.
“Air and space superiority are complementary to each other,” he said. “You’re not going to get one without the other on today’s complicated battlefield.”
It includes advanced fighter jets, networked systems and other tools that aim to erode and outmaneuver adversaries. The USAF is allocating back and doubling down on these capabilities to maintain American air power supremacy.
Another Core Military Requirement — Defending Air Superiority
Wilsbach categorically dismissed the idea that air superiority is growing less relevant.“There are those that say air superiority is not as important as it once was,” he added. "I strongly disagree. It is still the bedrock of every military operation. And without it, mission objectives are almost unattainable.”
Although the U.S. military has not fought a major air campaign for decades, Wilsbach added that “it’s always important that we think ahead of the adversary,” which he said was what training for air war was all about.
“Today’s pilots don’t have direct combat experience in highly contested airspace,” he acknowledged. "But our emphasis is making sure they are prepared fully for that."
The secret to that readiness, he said, is regular maintenance of the aircraft and regular training in the air.
“If we can keep our aircraft flying and keep our pilots flying, they will create the response that is required from a combat perspective, skills and confidence,” Wilsbach said.
Training for the Next War
The Air Force has developed a multi-tiered series of exercises to ready airmen for future conflicts.“We have a tiered approach, from basic training right up through to large exercises such as Red Flag in January 2025 and Bamboo Eagle in February 2025,” Wilsbach said. “This approach makes certain that airmen have stepwise skills development and are prepared for real world missions.”
But he also admitted the Air Force still faces hurdles when it comes to training efficiency, due to gaps in what can be resourced.
“We don’t have all of the tools we need in order to train at a level that’s maximally effective,” he acknowledged. “Although modernization efforts are bad, there are still some areas we have to work on.
Using lessons learned from recent conflicts, Wilsbach noted that if you can’t achieve air superiority, you may have a long, drawn out conflict and even a stalemate.
“If neither side gains air superiority, wars stagnate without a victor,” he said. “We have seen this in Ukraine and Israel — once air dominance is not established, conflicts get protracted and unpredictable.”
Marking out Around Challenges and Filling in Gaps
Even with the limitations on certain capabilities, Wilsbach called on airmen to develop workarounds and leverage what resources are available until more effective systems come along.“The No. 1 thing we do is fly and maintain our aircraft,” he added. “We’ve struggled with the maintenance piece, which directly correlates with the number of sorties that we can fly. But how we train efficiently is something we really care about now.”
While new platforms and upgraded simulators are a ways away, Wilsbach challenged airmen to develop their skills through innovative training methodologies.
“We need to layer our effects — some of them kinetic, some of them non-kinetic, some of them deceptive,” he said. “This is how we train to prepare to fight any enemy, any time.”
Capabilities versus Costs in Munitions: A Delicate Balance
Resource management, in particular in munitions, is another main element of next-gen air superiority. Wilsbach stands by the need for a balanced weapons development approach.“We have to have some high-cost precision weapons, a mix, and lower-cost options that can force our enemies to deplete their stocks,” he said. “We’ve talked a lot about very sophisticated, expensive weapon systems, and we need those, but we also need low-cost solutions to maintain long-term combat effectiveness.”
The Air Force could leave itself short of its requirements in a high-stakes fight, Wilsbach warned, if modernization efforts are not a coordinated plan.
“We face tough choices as we assess what China can do,” he said. “Doing nothing is no option,”
Total Readiness at All the Layers
Though Air Force leadership continues to seek support on the budget and policies, Wilsbach said airmen at all echelons have a role to play in readiness.“I need airmen out in the field to be ready,” he said. “The HQ will do everything we can to drive progress from the top down, but I need airmen to meet us halfway and remain proactive in their individual training and preparedness.”
Lt. Gen. Dale White, military deputy for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, said as much. “The joint force relies on access, freedom of maneuver and deterrence,” he added.
A Future Free of Patchwork Solutions
“We’re moving toward a future where the system won’t rely on temporary fixes for maintenance,” Wilsbach added.“We’re moving toward a system that won’t require last-minute improvisation,” he said. “We want to ensure airmen are equipped and trained to be ready at all times[.]”
White agreed, saying that attitude is ‘fight tonight’—‘ready to go to war,’ he said, ‘at a moment's notice.’
