NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.— Three words have dominated the conversation at the Air & Space Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference near Washington D.C. in recent years: “China, China, China.”

That phrase, frequently repeated by former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, was used to footstomp the need for increased funding and focus on major defense programs. Building drone wingmen, unveiling a long-range nuclear bomber and developing plans for the next-generation fighter jet were viewed as necessities to compete with near-peer threats—namely, China’s rapidly-developing military capabilities.

But at the conference this week, past messaging about the yearslong push for great power competition was replaced with frequent mentions of new administration priorities. And the ongoing multi-

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