WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th October, 2018) The US military-industrial supply chain excessively relies on critical elements such as ceramics and rare earths imported from China, a senior administration official told reporters.
"China is responsible for many of the foreign dependencies we have about critical material," the official said on Thursday.
The United States was excessively dependent on China for ceramics used in body armor, titanium, beryllium, tungsten, rare earth and energetics used in explosives and propellants, as well as other crucial items, the senior official said.
The United States was also dependent on foreign imports for such critical items as solid fuel rocket motors, machine tools, precision gyroscopes and night vision systems, the official added.
"We have identified a number of vulnerabilities which demand immediate action," the official said. "There is a blueprint for actions which will be launched immediately."
President Donald Trump was the first US president since Dwight D. Eisenhower 65 years ago to conduct such a massive study and act strategically about strengthening and preserving the US industrial base, the official said.
