The move underscores growing concern among US lawmakers that delays to F/A-XX could erode the long-term relevance of US aircraft carriers in high-end conflicts. US officials cited by Harper also note that with organic tanker support, the F/A-XX’s operational reach could be effectively indefinite. Osborne argues that China’s large and expanding fleets of J-20 and carrier-capable J-35 fighters could overwhelm aging US carrier air wings through mass and proximity to China’s coasts. She adds that the F/A-XX would restore the carrier air wing’s ability to conduct long-range, high-end operations against China in a highly contested Pacific battlespace. In the theater, they state that the US Air Forces Pacific has roughly 140 fighters, versus China’s ability to mass hundreds of J-20s near Taiwan.