China poses an increasing challenge to the US military's technological edge while budget pressures are hampering Washington's effort to stay ahead, a senior defence official has warned.
Frank Kendall, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, told congress that when it comes to "technological superiority, the Department of Defense is being challenged in ways that I have not seen for decades, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region".
Citing China's major investments in anti-ship missiles, stealth fighter jets, hypersonic vehicles and other hi-tech weaponry, Kendall said the US could lose its dominant position if it failed to respond to the altered strategic landscape.
"Technological superiority is not assured and we cannot be complacent about our posture," he told congress' Armed Services Committee.
Asked to assess what one politician called an arms race between the two countries, Kendall said there was cause for concern as China dramatically increases its military spending.
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"Their budget is far smaller than ours, but their personnel costs are also far smaller than ours," said Kendall, undersecretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics.
"Our budgets are going in the opposite direction," he said, adding that by that alone, "it's not positive".
Politicians and defence analysts say China is making strides in modernising its military, particularly in the area of so-called "anti-access" weapons - such as missiles and electronic jamming systems - that could potentially limit the reach of US aircraft carriers or warplanes.
Kendall said when he returned to the Pentagon after being away for 15 years, he was "struck immediately by the nature, scope and quality of the investments that are being made in A2AD, as we call it, anti-access area denial capabilities".
As a result, the Pentagon is "looking very carefully at Pacific Command's requirements and what they need for the operations in that area", he said.
Kendall added that Washington was concerned about China exporting its newer weapons abroad.
