Washington,
China has a growing desire to become a global economic and military leader. In this situation, China is progressing in various fields to compensate the superpower America.
China dominates the South China Sea more than any other country. Accordingly, the ship is also engaged in patrolling. It is also working towards bringing Taiwan under its control. However, America is supporting Taiwan.
In this situation, in a news published recently by the Asia Times news agency, it is surprising that China has overtaken the United States in the production of new explosives.
Production of explosives and propellants in the United States has declined relative to China.
This was also mentioned by Forbes magazine recently. China overtook the United States in the production of new types of explosives, notably the CL-20, a powerful explosive developed in the 1980s.
This explosive is RDX. or HMX 40 percent more powerful than the like. It has been widely used by the US since World War 2.
China tested an explosive similar to CL-20 in 2011. After that, the explosives began to be manufactured in large numbers, reports the Asia Times.
In contrast, the only US military base in Holston, Tennessee in the US manufactures all US military explosives. Since World War 2, explosives manufacturing and mixing in various proportions have been carried out at one location in the United States. It also suggests that modern explosives are capable of being produced in limited quantities.
According to this, the US can only produce 10 tons of CL-20 explosives per year with the chemicals it has in stock.
However, there is a need to produce thousands of tons of these widely used products per year. It will take 3 to 5 years for US companies to scale these up.
The US is dependent on China for half a dozen chemicals it needs for its military explosives and other equipment. Another dozen items have to be sourced from other countries.
This raises the question of the security of America’s dynamic logistics.
Apart from this, China is also engaged in the production of thermobaric weapons. They are larger and more powerful than other explosives.
China has long-range, explosive-carrying aircraft and ships. These types of weapons are small and light in weight, but are highly effective.
Therefore, it has been warned that the conflict with China will cause loss to America.
The United States was a leading producer of weapons during World War II and the Cold War. However, with the loss of weapons production capacity, the United States is currently unable to directly supply enough weapons to Taiwan and Ukraine to fight against Russia and China, the Asian Times reported.
If the U.S. comes in to defend Taiwan, the U.S. will lose long-range strikes and other weapons in a week. America will have to spend more weapons than it has in stock.
But China has invested in explosives and advanced weapons and has the ability to produce at a rate 5 to 6 times faster than the United States, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Thus, it is fully understood that the confrontation with China will affect the United States.