Two years from now, according to four-star Air Force General Mike Minihan, who informed his colleagues of this fact on Friday.
It is believed that Minihan, who is in charge of more than 50,000 service members and 500 aircraft at Air Mobility Command, sent the letter to every wing commander at AMC and every operational commander in the Air Force.
Reports from NBC News, which obtained a copy of the document, state that Minihan is worried China would attack Taiwan when everyone’s attention is elsewhere due to elections on both sides of the Taiwan Strait in 2024.
For once, I would want to be incorrect. To me, a war between us is inevitable by 2025, “he declared. Xi has already assembled his war council and secured a third term as president by October 2022. Taiwan’s presidential elections in 2024 provide Xi with an out. Xi believes the upcoming presidential election in the United States in 2024 is a perfect chance to capitalize on the country’s split focus. In 2025, Xi has an unbeatable combination of a strong staff, sound reasoning, and ample opportunity.
Minihan instructed his subordinates to prepare a plan for a potential fight with China. He wanted to hear about their progress toward their goals as of February 28.
Minihan’s long-term goal is to assemble “a fortified, ready, integrated, and nimble Joint Force Maneuver Team ready to fight and win inside the first island chain.” He detailed the steps that commanders should take to get ready.
Then, beginning in February, he went over their plans for the next six months: “Knowing that cold-blooded killing is of paramount importance, you fire a clip at a target at 7 meters. Take a swing at the person’s noggin.
He suggested they “review their difficulties and whether a visit should be arranged with their servicing base legal office to ensure they are legally equipped and prepared” before their deployment in March.
Air Mobility Command confirmed the validity of the letter, saying it was prepared to ensure Minihan’s commanders were ready to act if deterrence failed.
Indeed, this is an authentic internal communication from General Minihan to the troops he commands. Air Mobility Command “built on the core work last year to prepare the Mobility Air Forces for future war, should deterrence fail,” a spokeswoman told NBC News on Friday.
Upon NBC News’s publication of the letter, the Defense Department issued a statement saying, “These ideas are not indicative of the department’s viewpoint on China.”