“Provide for the Common Defense” is a lot more than F-35′s, VA class subs, and Abrams Tanks

This week we have been treated to Ivan’s new Satan-2 ICBM (oversold btw) but which is to replace the SS-18′s (COLD WAR VINTAGE - which THEN could drop 10+ warheads inside a football field sized target EASILY), more intercepted nuclear attack drills by his aircraft, China’s continued manufacturing of fortified islands and launching of ship after ship, while modernizing their older ships with brand new weapons, and readying THEIR competitor to our Zumwalt (DD-1000) for completion, while testing AGAIN their hypersonic attack weapons. They have sent to line production the J-20 stealth aircraft (their F-22).  Their DF-21 missiles threaten any US ship within 1000′s of miles of the Chinese theater, as the first ballistic missile usable against moving naval targets.

We are now facing off against BOTH with a targeted nuclear submarine force level set in the 90′s (48) and now realize we can’t replace cold war boats fast enough to FULFILL MISSIONS WE NEED, and CAN’T AFFORD TO UP THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE MORE RAPIDLY.

The Navy’s replacement for the most important part of our nuclear deterrence, our Trident fleet, threatens to take up the ENTIRE Navy shipbuilding budget.

We have aircraft literally wearing out from 13 years of war usage, and are replacing them with FAR SMALLER numbers which we really can't afford to start with, so we are cutting back the number of anti missile interceptor components we are producing (among other ‘minor’ items).

We have the smallest army  since before WW2 and the smallest navy since before WW1.

These are all stories JUST THIS WEEK.

But guess what?

These are all SYMPTOMS, NOT the disease.

THIS IS THE DISEASE.

Manufacturing jobs, then engineering,
then R&D.

We PAID for this situation.