Article Posted on : - Feb 18, 2011

US F-22 Raptor

WASHINGTON (AP): The United States will retain a far bigger fleet of top-end fighter planes than China for years to come despite Beijing's early test of a Stealth jet that has stoked concern over its military buildup, the US defense chief said.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates told lawmakers that China faces a "long road" before deploying its J-20 Stealth fighter in any numbers, and predicted a continuing "huge disparity" compared with America's fleet of low-observable aircraft.

The chief of the Pacific Command, however, acknowledged that China also has a "formidable" ballistic missile capability that has grown for two decades.

Adm. Robert Willard said the United States was watching "very carefully," and it was important for China to be open and hold a dialogue with the US and other countries in the region about its intentions.

"If the two militaries are coming into contact with each other at the rate they are, then it's important that my commanders on the high seas or my mission commanders in the air have enough familiarity with that counterpart military not to misjudge, miscommunicate or misunderstand," he told journalists, alluding to concerns that a chance confrontation could spark conflict.

China's military buildup has caused unease among its neighbours in the Asia-Pacific, with whom it has territorial disputes. China's buildup also has raised questions about how long the United States can retain its military predominance in the region, which Washington views as vital for stability and policing sea lanes that keep for international trade moving.

China's arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles, including one designed to target an aircraft carrier, and its growing surface and submarine fleet, could potentially constrain US operations in waters of the Western Pacific, although Willard maintained that China's capabilities had not necessitated a rethink of America's military strategy for the region.

The US Pacific Fleet alone includes five aircraft carrier strike groups, approximately 180 ships, 1,500 aircraft and 100,000 personnel.

China maintains that it has no offensive intentions, and sees its military capabilities as in keeping with its rising economic and diplomatic influence.

In a move seen by some as flagging the communist nation's clout, however, China staged a test flight of its Stealth jet during a visit by Gates to Beijing in January aimed at rekindling military ties.