UNAPOLOGETICALLY AMERICAN

Chinese Components and Their Sources

Recent discussions highlight that many U.S. defense systems depend on parts manufactured by Chinese companies. Here are some key points regarding these dependencies:

Implications of Chinese Dependency

1. Security Risks:
   • The presence of Chinese components raises concerns about potential sabotage or espionage. Unauthorized features could allow for surveillance or manipulation of systems.
2. Supply Chain Vulnerability:
   • U.S. military operations can be severely impacted if access to these parts is cut off during a conflict. This was illustrated by past incidents where export restrictions from China affected the U.S. drone industry.
3. Legislative Measures:
   The U.S. government has been actively pursuing policies to reduce reliance on Chinese components. Regulations like the National Defense Authorization Act impose restrictions on contractors regarding the use of parts from Chinese suppliers.
   
   

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? Many so-called rare earth elements are actually quite common, and they are mined globally, but China has a near-monopoly on refining them for use in everyday electronics, like smartphones and speakers, as well as for crucial defense systems, like fighter jets.

WTF?
What imbecile thought it would be a good idea to buy components for our military equipment from the Communist Chinese? If any component uses electricity to function (like the gauges on our military aircraft), did it not occur to the buyer that the Chinese could easily insure there was a ‘back door’ in that component to permit remote control of that component? The Chinese ARE NOT our friends! They have been openly inimical toward the USA since 1949, since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, under the rule of Mao Zedong in October 1949.
China controls a significant portion of the global supply of rare earth minerals, which are essential for various applications, including electronics and military technologies, accounting for about 90% of the market.

For much of the second half of the 20th century, the United States controlled the market on rare earth elements, after prospectors discovered them in Mountain Pass, Calif., in 1949. The exceptional Chinese foresight of the potentiality for the many applications of rare earth minerals is how we lost control of the rare earth market.

YOUR THOUGHTS??