HomeU.S. think tank reports that U.S. military industry is not ready for a conflict with China.
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(Reuters)
[Compiled Chen Chengliang/Comprehensive Report] The US think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) issued a report on the 23rd warning that the US defense industrial base is not fully prepared for the current competitive security environment. These problems may weaken the ability of the US military to conduct a protracted war against China, including insufficient ammunition stocks in the Taiwan Strait conflict, resulting in the so-called "empty bin" (Empty Bin) problem.
The report, titled "Empty Bins in a Wartime Environment: The Challenge to the US Defense Industrial Base" (Empty Bins in a Wartime Environment: The Challenge to the US Defense Industrial Base), pointed to the war between Russia and Ukraine and tensions between the US and China Intensified, highlighting that the United States is no longer in a peaceful environment.
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The report mentioned that the Russo-Ukrainian war exposed serious flaws in the US defense industrial base.
The war depleted the U.S. inventory of certain types of weapon systems and ammunition, such as the Stinger surface-to-air missile (Stinger), 155 cm howitzers and ammunition, and the Javelin anti-tank missile system, while the U.S. replenished weapons Libraries are slow.
"This is a stark reminder that a protracted conflict is likely to be an industrial war, requiring the defense industry to be able to manufacture sufficient munitions, weapons systems and materials to replace depleted stockpiles," the report stressed.
In a major regional conflict such as the Taiwan Strait conflict, the United States may use more ammunition than the Department of Defense stockpile, or even run out of long-range precision ammunition in less than a week, etc., which will make it extremely difficult for the US military to maintain a protracted conflict, partly because the US The defense industrial base lacks the capacity to dramatically increase production capacity to deal with a large-scale war.
"In a major regional conflict, such as a war with Beijing in the Taiwan Strait, the United States could use more munitions than DoD currently has in stock, leading to an 'empty box' problem," the report said.
These problems with the defense industrial base, caused in part by outdated military contracting procedures and bureaucracy, are affecting the U.S. ability to build a credible deterrent in the Indo-Pacific region or confront China in a military conflict, new research from CSIS finds.
According to some U.S. government estimates, China is investing heavily in arms and acquiring high-end weapons systems and equipment five to six times faster than the United States.
The report believes that the U.S. military is not only facing the problem of insufficient ammunition in a possible conflict across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan is an island. More long-range ammunition is needed, and more ammunition stocks are needed in theater.
The report recommends that the DoD, in coordination with Congress, develop a plan for measures to simplify and improve production, acquisition, resupply, foreign military sales, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and reevaluate other policies and procedures.
The CSIS study also recommends reassessing U.S. stockpile requirements, establishing a strategic ammunition stockpile and identifying sustainable ammunition acquisition plans to meet current and future needs.
The report also recommends that the United States broaden its military procurement channels, take advantage of the flexibility in the contract process, create more military-industrial cooperative production facilities, and seek opportunities for "alliance support".