Air Force chief’s parting warning: U.S. must transform Space Force to counter China

WASHINGTON — Outgoing Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall delivered a stark warning to Congress in his final weeks in office: The United States risks falling behind China in the military space race unless it fundamentally transforms its space capabilities. In a report submitted to Congress last month and discussed during a Jan. 13 talk at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Kendall outlined an ambitious vision for both the Air Force and Space Force, emphasizing the need for dramatic expansion in space-based capabilities between now and 2050 to counter growing threats from China and Russia. "We're going to need…