As theorizing and speculation has already commenced, some important things to bear in mind. What the CAS did NOT say was that this offsets the huge numerical superiority. But geography is for real. Can or has China worked its way round it? Individually, aircraft can't start taking off with full warlord. No. But the "weight of attack" can be supplemented by aircraft operating from rear bases at lower altitudes. This depends on two factors. 1. The number of force multipliers (tankers) available to sustained rear base/ long range operations 2. Training levels/ qualification status of crews based in say Kunming for operations over TAR/ Himalayas. Even this is somewhat constrained. Except for bases like Kashgar, Hotan etc (in XUAR), most "depth" bases are 750+ km to the rear. To generate reassuring superiority, bases as far as 1000-1200+ km may have to pitch in. It CAN be done. True. But the imperatives of "recycling time", and "area qualification" of crews come into play. The former simply means that a J16 say, based at Golmud, will need 3 sets of crews (usually PLAAF will have maybe say ~ 2 crews per fighter) and even then, be unable to generate more than 3 missions/ day. This also applies to the PLAAF's bombers, even if they do not need refueling to jump in. The latter means that if PLAAF does want to leverage its overall much larger strength, it will have to devote a lot of training effort towards it. For example, a J20 sqn based in Kunming, whose primary role would be against Vietnam/ maritime ops off Hainan, will have to divert some of its training towards operations over high altitude/ mountainous areas of TAR/ India. What it translates to is that the difference in fielded strength and effort needed for China to generate the force needed for assured superiority. India has made it easier of course, with the current state of the IAF. But increased investment and an early restoration and then expansion of the IAF will push this effort to prohibitive levels for China. But if India cannot leverage geography because it is unable to understand what air power can do, then, well... @IAF_MCC