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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! This past September, China’s new J-35 stealth fighter successfully launched from its Fujian aircraft carrier for the first time. This marked a major milestone for their naval aviation program, and a technological advancement long sought after by Beijing. It’s also a clear signal: China wants to challenge the F-35s and America’s dominance at sea. I understand what it means to cross that kind of threshold. I spent my career flying F-18s off aircraft carriers and at TOPGUN. I was the only Marine ever to fly the F-22 Raptor. I’m also the first Marine qualified to fly the F-35B and had the honor of commanding the first operational squadron of F-35s in the Marine Corps. I’ve seen up close what it takes to move a fifth-generation fighter from the design room to the flight line and how much harder it is than it looks on paper. I’ve seen firsthand what this aircraft can do, and more importantly, what it takes to make it work. The J-35 is a notable step forward for China’s aviation fleet. Their fifth-generation stealth fighter is designed to meet the punishing demands of carrier operations: catapult launches, arrested landings, corrosion, salt spray and constant exposure to the harsh maritime environment. The sea is no joke, and it can be deadly. To handle those rigors, a jet’s airframe is heavily reinforced, its landing gear strengthened, and its systems adapted for naval operations. On paper, it’s impressive. TRUMP’S AIRCRAFT CARRIER VISIT SENDS CHINA A MESSAGE: US SEA POWER STILL RULES THE WAVES Yet, as my experiences taught me, paper and reality are two different things. While the launch and recovery tests are a real achievement, they are just the first step. No matter how promising a new aircraft may be, it will face years of testing, setbacks and refinement. It takes time to learn how to operate underway. The J-35 may be able to fly from a carrier, but that doesn’t mean it will thrive there. Sustained carrier operations push machines and people to their limit. China has struggled to achieve engine reliability, stealth and parts availability, and these aspects are exponentially harder at sea. The challenges are not just technical, but operational, logistical and human. The salt, the heat, the constant motion and the volatile weather are all parts of daily life aboard a carrier. Anyone who’s worked on a flight deck knows how unforgiving that environment is. Advanced technology amplifies our capabilities, but it means nothing if you can’t lead. And that’s the real advantage of the U.S. military. Not the aircraft, not our technology; it’s our leaders. When I flew the F-35 for the first time, it was clear this jet would change how we fight. But as I led the pilots of the first F-35 squadron, I realized it wasn’t the technology that would make the difference. It was our American servicemembers, the men and women flying and fixing these machines, that do. Advanced technology amplifies our capabilities, but it means nothing if you can’t lead. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION And that’s the real advantage of the U.S. military. Not the aircraft, not our technology; it’s our leaders. There are thousands who serve aboard the ships, dedicated to maintaining our advanced equipment and working together to ensure we can fight in any clime and place, at any time. Their training, discipline and mindset are a force multiplier, a uniquely American advantage that can’t be measured on paper. China can build aircraft and carriers that bear a striking resemblance to ours, but they can’t replicate the culture of leadership that defines American military aviation. The mindset, initiative, adaptability and ownership of our people who operate these systems are what make them unbeatable. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Our adversaries will not stop. The J-35 will continue to improve. It will get smarter, stealthier, and more capable. But the decisive factor will never be the aircraft. It will always be the person in the cockpit and the team that supports them. It’s important to remember this is where we must never lose our advantage. And we can never forget that our most important investment is in the skillset and abilities of the American servicemembers. Maverick was on to something when he proclaimed in Top Gun, "It’s not the plane; it’s the pilot." He was right. Stealth fighters don’t win wars; people do. And they do it by leading themselves, their team, and their machines, in the harshest environment on the planet.
