US unprepared for potential war with China: Study

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
23 Jan 2023 20:06
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Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, the US has committed more than $27 billion in military equipment and supplies to Ukraine.

Ukrainian servicemen unpack Javelin anti-tank missiles, delivered as part of the United States of America's security assistance to Ukraine, at the Boryspil airport, outside Kiev, Ukraine, Feb. 11, 2022 (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)

A study published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) indicated that Washington's self-imposed burden of supplying Kiev with weapons endangers the US in its capacity to ready itself in the event of a possible armed conflict with China, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

"The bottom line is the defense industrial base, in my judgment, is not prepared for the security environment that now exists," Seth Jones, senior vice president at the CSIS and author of the study, told WSJ.

A new report from the CSIS think tank argues that there are not enough US weapons to support Ukraine and "deter Chinese military aggression."

Left unmentioned: CSIS major corporate funders include the weapons makers in question.https://t.co/WCh1hqJuxR pic.twitter.com/WFbaJEDj9B
— Jonathan Guyer (@mideastXmidwest) January 23, 2023

Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, the US has committed more than $27 billion in military equipment and supplies to Ukraine.

Because of this, quantities of weapons and arms have fallen below critical levels, so much so that manufacturers are having a hard time catching up with replenishing stockpiles rapidly.

For instance, the number of Javelin shoulder-fired missiles that were supplied to Kiev since August is about seven years’ production worth, and the number of antiaircraft Stinger systems is equivalent to about 20 years’ worth of exports.

The research cites outdated government regulations on foreign military sales and ineffective bureaucracy as the main reason for this issue, warning that the stock of 155 mm ammunition, Javelin systems, howitzer artillery, and counter-artillery radar are all considered low.

New CSIS report documents the amount of time it will take for the United States to rebuild its weapons inventories (most categories are over five years to restock) https://t.co/WliqC8CYlv pic.twitter.com/lhoJcNNAFP
— ₦₳V𝚜𝚝é𝚟𝚊 🇷🇺 ᴢ (@Navsteva) January 14, 2023

Since 2019, Taiwan has been waiting for packages of more than $19 billion worth of US weapons purchases.

The report says that the Pentagon is unlikely to easily deliver its commitments toward Taiwan after a potential war begins with China, which will surely isolate the small island.

Whether it is true or not that the US is really running out of stockpiles, what is certain is that it is unlikely Washington would engage in supplying Kiev with so many arms thoughtlessly.

The US has historically relied on militarisation as the basic avenue for accumulation on the global level for its own growth.

Since Washington benefits from war and its social, financial, and political impact, low stockpiles can signify that US arms manufacturers will be making huge profits as the US government makes new orders to restock its depleted arsenal.

Al Mayadeen analysts argue that the semblance of a weakened US can be misleading since the ruling capitalist class in the US can employ the state to serve its enrichment which manifests through militarism. The resulting economic growth can then be recycled into pumping more arms to replace what has been depleted through war and military intervention.