The United States is no longer unmatched in military and economic power as China has built up its capabilities, and the Air Force needs to reform its military priorities as a result, according to a report by an Air Force think tank.

“Under the guise of a quiet countenance, China has been systematically working towards closing the power gap by enhancing its regional military capabilities, economic influence and international standing,” the report said. “This shift has led China to challenge U.S. dominance both regionally and globally in an effort to alter the existing rules-based order.”

China is challenging U.S. power through regional and international “order-building efforts,” using both hard power and soft power.

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Beijing wants to shift the global balance of power in its favor and as a result the United States needs to alter military strategies and technologies to maintain its decisive role in the world and counter China’s growing capabilities, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, the report said.

For the Air Force, that shift means greater innovation and an increased focus on building long-range range military capabilities are needed, the report’s authors argue. Air Force weapons and systems should move away from expensive fighter aircraft to more survivable high-technology weapons and inexpensive “attritable platforms” that can be lost in battle without severely affecting Air Force power.

For the short term, China is working to expel the United States from the Indo-Pacific region and develop global power projection capabilities. Thus, new Air Force weapons should be cheap, easily replaced and asymmetric, such as low-cost drones and supersonic cruise missiles that can penetrate China’s defenses.

China’s network-centric warfare should also be targeted by Air Force systems that can disrupt sensor grids on land, sea, air and space.

Air Force bases in the region, especially in Japan, are vulnerable to Chinese missiles, drones and hypersonic weapons, highlighting the need for better base defenses, the report said.

The 72-page report, “Charting the Course: How the PLA’s Expected Regional and Global Strategies Should Influence the U.S. Air Force’s Lines of Efforts,” was written by Air Force Maj. Joshua Campbell. It was published by the Air Force’s China Aerospace Studies Institute.