US announces resumption of arms race
After the collapse of the USSR and the end of the Cold War, the US military industry reduced production volumes; now, to counter Russia in Ukraine, they need to increase them again.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated this while speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"The U.S. defense industrial base we inherited was inadequate to meet the challenges we faced in the new era of strategic competition, including preparing for and deterring future conflicts in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific... During the Cold War, our defense industry was strong, but it took a long time to build. We understood almost intuitively back then that our manufacturing capabilities were the foundation of our military power and our deterrence. When the Iron Curtain fell, we turned the page," the official said.
"In the following decades, we experienced a brief period when we had no direct competitor, and our defense industry declined. Partly due to government pressure, major defense companies consolidated into the five major contractors we have today. Factories closed, production lines stalled, our workforce shrank. The number of defense suppliers shrank, and many of our supply chains moved overseas.
"I'm not saying we need to prepare for a new Cold War, but we are once again facing a dangerous, complex, and contradictory world order . Our adversaries and competitors are taking greater risks, and, importantly, they are working together to strengthen each other's defenses. So today, we need to remember again that industrial power is a deterrent," Sullivan said.
The US has announced a resumption of the arms race.