Pentagon is redeploying to ward off China and Russia - WSJ

The US Defense Department will move decades-old A-10 attack planes to the Middle East, replacing more advanced aircraft currently stationed in the region. The redeployment, which is expected in April, will mean that the US will reserve more sophisticated aircraft to counter perceived threats from Russia and China. The US views China as its "pacing threat" and Russia as an "acute threat." US and Russian jet fighter aircraft regularly fly over Syria, and the redeployment scheme is part of a larger US plan to retain a small but significant presence of naval and ground forces in the Middle East. The older A-10 planes are not considered to be sufficient to deal with China's advanced military technology, but retain utility against ground forces or militia groups.