A four-star US Air Force general predicted to his officers Friday that the United States would be at war by 2025 and advised his commanders to prepare, according to a report published by NBC News.
Mike Minihan, head of the Air Mobility Command, wrote a memo to all air wing commanders and other Air Force operational commanders warning: “I hope I’m wrong. My gut tells me that we will fight in 2025.”
The general explained that the war with the Asian giant is imminent in the next two years due to the 2024 elections in the United States and Taiwan, which, in his opinion, will “distract” both nations and allow China to make a move on the island. .
Minihan added that a joint force maneuver team that is fortified and “ready to fight and win within the first island chain” should be established to prepare for the possible war that could come.
Faced with this possibility that Minihan predicts, he ordered the Air Force commanders to deliver a report before February 28 on the steps they will take to prepare for war against China.
He also said that all staff will need to ensure their records and emergency contact information are up to date. He urged them to consider their personal issues, and whether to schedule a visit with their service base’s legal office to ensure they are legally prepared.
The general also called on fighting forces to run deliberately and not be reckless, but noted that they must accept taking some risk in training: “If you’re comfortable with your approach to training, then you’re not taking enough risk.”
But despite Minihan’s words, a US defense official told Fox News that such statements “are not representative of the department’s view of China.”
“The US National Defense Strategy makes clear that China is the primary challenge for the Department of Defense and our focus remains to work together with allies and partners to preserve a free, open and peaceful Indo-Pacific,” he said. Defense Department press secretary General Patrick Ryder in a statement.
The claims of a conflict with China come after constant warnings that China’s long-term goal is the reunification of Taiwan with mainland China, mounting pressures in recent years.
With information from Fox News