In the last 50 years, and even as far back as WW2 we have seen allies and those inimical to us work out how to copy what we (or our allies) have developed, or at worse reverse engineer what we do, with ONE exception.
Before WW2 we had little money invested in R&D and new production of aircraft, especially fighters. In the late 30’s we pushed forward the F4F Wildcat for the Navy.
This stubby, well armored, moderately armed, slow except in a dive, and not so maneuverable fighter found itself against the premier fighter of the age. The Mitsubishi Zero developed by the Japanese. It was Swift, VERY long ranged, extremely maneuverable, but couldn’t take too many hits. However it totally outclassed anything we had and cost the lives of many fine men including superb American pilots weighed down with inferior equipment.
Since then we have seen the Russians copy the B-29 as the TU-4, all the way thru the copies of today.
Today, our situation in terms of the income disposable to the R&D of weapons begins to mimic that of the 30’s as the needs of our populace and the interest on the debt (20 F-35’s a week) constrain our freedom to plan and act.
In the past 3 days we see now the Chinese SURPASS our weapons development.
China’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that weapons designers recently conducted the first test of an ultra-high speed missile vehicle considered cutting edge military technology.
In a two-sentence statement faxed to news agencies and state-run media in Beijing, the ministry confirmed the flight test of a new hypersonic glide vehicle.
U.S. defense officials said the test of what the Pentagon is calling the WU-14 hypersonic glide vehicle took place Jan. 9 over China.
This has been reported ALL OVER THE PLACE. The vehicle flies at 10 times the speed of sound. We have a test vehicle we have used. This appears to be a weapons test. This is a weapon designed to defeat ballistic missile defense by exposing the warhead to very little time we can do anything about it. If our carriers are 500 miles from China, the warhead would reach the fleet in 6 minutes. It would be in range of our defense, the SM-3 Standard for the entire flight IF DETECTED, but the vehicle is maneuverable. The SM-3, to my knowledge, could not have been tested except in theory against a weapon like this. If the weapon gets close we have 1.5 seconds with our weapons of today, EXCEPT ONE. That is the defensive laser we just deployed for the first time on the USS Ponce in the Persian Gulf. Now combine this with another weapon, the
DF-21 ballistic anti ship missile and you have picture of a very dangerous ocean for the US Navy and our allies, specifically, Japan and Australia (an Australia already discussing publicly where their future in the Pacific lies).
How can this be turned around in our favor?
We need our economy, that is to say, MANUFACTURING (that which employs the most people with the most gross profit) to take off. That is where the Chinese disposable income for weapons R&D comes from. There are problem in doing this because when it comes to cheap labor, there will always be another China, and ironically THIS is the issue our generation really faces.
We can defend our freedoms most by insuring America is the factory of the world. We must do this DESPITE having nowhere near the cheapest labor.
If we cannot reduce labor costs we must reduce or eliminate taxes. We must make all other costs such as energy MINIMAL. We must do all we can to enhance the ABILITY of those who invent and make things to create and expand, and be far more productive than anyplace else.
Already this challenge includes a SUPERIOR Chinese technical infrastructure to set up manufactories which are flexible.
Want more income equality? Want a lower deficit? Want 4% unemployment? Want more corporate sponsorship of health care?
Make it possible for a new ‘US Steel’ to employ someone across 45 years of a career.
Why was all this MISSING from SOTU?
