Great Gouge. Simply incredible. A vital network with a single nodal point of failure: a network analysts dream.
But hey, The Great Wealth Exfiltration made a lot of our elites fantastically wealthy at least. The uniparty chuckled as the rest of us got sold down the river. And "engagement" was going to be a bonanza and rot the CCP culture from within...except that boomeranged badly and here we are.
We still have the chips lead with 5nm and less....although most of it is just across the straight.
Oh well, at least we still have an unassailable position in the pronoun wars to come.
Perhaps the decade of folly should be defined as any period of 10 consecutive years where the DOD attempts to solve a problem that they've known about for years.
Let's not forget that at one time the goal was to integrate the Chinese economy internationally while funding their economic development . This was supposed to result in mutual economic benefits. Thus far? It appears since Bush 41 set these goals the Chinese have as they say "made out like bandits."
BTW, did anyone see the new deal between Xi and da Silva? Another small cut. One of thousands.
Antimony is critical to creating an explosive additive that increases speed of detonation and intensity of blast. It's essential to small arms ammunition primers, and also used in significant proportions in artillery and bomb bursting charges.
.
World's main source of antimony and antimony related chemicals is China, followed by Vietnam, then Russia. US output is exactly Zero. Main source of antimony in USA during WWII was the Stibnite Mine in Idaho, now closed and subject to cleanup litigation.
I agree with the general sentiment but note that CL-20 is nasty stuff to handle. Friction and impact sensitivity much worse than RDX. One of the reasons work stopped was people died changing a contaminated air filter. We should continue working better energetics but maybe this isn't the one.
This guy is a fun (in a geeky way) read and addresses the topic from a chemist point of view:
Same as the nation's beginning, northeast bankers and traders grew fat exchanging with the biggest low cost cheap labor, DC protected and encouraged it all to stay in power, and the rest of us paid the bills, in blood, when the whole greedy scheme turned sour.
Except now, being best and brightest can't save us because it only means being the first X, Y or Z to make it into some prominent national position, regardless of merit or morals, only political marketing. This fix is nearly all traceable to either a Clinton or a Bush.
I have my doubts that PRC chemical firms have solved the manufacturing process development for CL-20 in a way that would satisfy American and European safety regulators. The way many PRC chemical firms handle safety concerns would make the average American EH&S tech. cry blood. I'm not saying we should be giving away our IP, either through theft or providing for the training of their R&D staff, but there are reasons why the USA didn't pursue CL-20 for scale up. Put simply, if you can't make CL-20 as a drop in replacement for TNT, RDX, or HMX both during its synthesis and shaping/casting/warhead manufacture, then you're going to have to justify the cost of new infrastructure to do it. Does a few hundred extra kJ of energy justify a new multi-billion dollar production line. My guess is that CL-20 fell victim to the "Nylon problem" that affects any new super polymer in development.
Energetics are certainly worthy of grave concern, not just the quality, but the single point of failure as noted above, and also the combined capacity to produce the energetics. Add on similar questions about the low tech missile and projectile/warhead manufacturing, and the places that marry the explosives (or propellants) into their container. And the fuzing and guidance stuff where appropriate. We are woefully deficient in all of these areas. Remember, TSMC chips are in all sorts of stuff, in addition to those chemicals and minerals from China. Even if we have the capacity, supply shortages may make them useless.
But we also need to think of the very likely scenarios which the Chinese might employ rather than just sinking our fleet, and downing our aircraft if we try to aid Taiwan. "The next war will be fought by one and zeroes" someone said. Do we have the capability to detect, prevent or recover from cyber attacks on our communications, power, water, refining, transportation, financial, medical and social infrastructure? What actions degrading U.S. military assets could take place with plausible deniability. Unexplained mining of harbors and approaches? Random attacks on the electrical grid and substations? Poisons in water supplies? Cut off the medical supplies and devices our wonderful healthcare system needs in huge quantities?
An undeniable EMP attack high over the heartland or 2 or 3 would throw us back to the 1880s in a flash, taking years to recover, and millions of deaths especially in the urban jungles.
Or, simply call their trillions of dollars in loans and collapse our economy, which is already a shambles and a joke?
Or, perhaps their best weapon is being able to confront a bumbling Bozo who has been bought off through prior investments directly to that individual or their family.
But, on our present economic, social and military trajectories, the Chinese need do nothing be sit patiently until we collapse from the rot plaguing our institutions. Of course, they can nudge that along, with the unrelenting supply of fentanyl to kill Americans, and endless flow of illegal invaders from hundreds of countries both effectively exacerbating existing problems
China almost certainly desires to avoid being nuked, and may employ numerous non-energetic options instead of a direct attack on the U.S. Are we prepared for any of those?
The biggest crime was during the Clinton Administration, Giving them Missiles guidance technology , super computers, Chinese scientists had free run at Los Alamos labs. The Clinton Admin was the best Presidency they ever paid for.
It’s bad enough that our security is so lax that secrets can be stolen from us. But it’s worse when we simply give them away.
Great Gouge. Simply incredible. A vital network with a single nodal point of failure: a network analysts dream.
But hey, The Great Wealth Exfiltration made a lot of our elites fantastically wealthy at least. The uniparty chuckled as the rest of us got sold down the river. And "engagement" was going to be a bonanza and rot the CCP culture from within...except that boomeranged badly and here we are.
We still have the chips lead with 5nm and less....although most of it is just across the straight.
Oh well, at least we still have an unassailable position in the pronoun wars to come.
Perhaps the decade of folly should be defined as any period of 10 consecutive years where the DOD attempts to solve a problem that they've known about for years.
We have met the enemy, and they are us.
Let's not forget that at one time the goal was to integrate the Chinese economy internationally while funding their economic development . This was supposed to result in mutual economic benefits. Thus far? It appears since Bush 41 set these goals the Chinese have as they say "made out like bandits."
BTW, did anyone see the new deal between Xi and da Silva? Another small cut. One of thousands.
And don't forget the element Antimony... (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosive_antimony#:~:text=Explosive%20antimony%20is%20an%20allotrope,was%20first%20described%20in%201855.)
.
Antimony is critical to creating an explosive additive that increases speed of detonation and intensity of blast. It's essential to small arms ammunition primers, and also used in significant proportions in artillery and bomb bursting charges.
.
World's main source of antimony and antimony related chemicals is China, followed by Vietnam, then Russia. US output is exactly Zero. Main source of antimony in USA during WWII was the Stibnite Mine in Idaho, now closed and subject to cleanup litigation.
We need another Infrastructure Act. Whether Congress will pass it, and people accept the necessary development that it will entail, is doubtful.
In Canada our government still is in a state of slumber about the PRC threat.
I agree with the general sentiment but note that CL-20 is nasty stuff to handle. Friction and impact sensitivity much worse than RDX. One of the reasons work stopped was people died changing a contaminated air filter. We should continue working better energetics but maybe this isn't the one.
This guy is a fun (in a geeky way) read and addresses the topic from a chemist point of view:
https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/things-i-won-t-work-hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane
Same as the nation's beginning, northeast bankers and traders grew fat exchanging with the biggest low cost cheap labor, DC protected and encouraged it all to stay in power, and the rest of us paid the bills, in blood, when the whole greedy scheme turned sour.
Except now, being best and brightest can't save us because it only means being the first X, Y or Z to make it into some prominent national position, regardless of merit or morals, only political marketing. This fix is nearly all traceable to either a Clinton or a Bush.
I have my doubts that PRC chemical firms have solved the manufacturing process development for CL-20 in a way that would satisfy American and European safety regulators. The way many PRC chemical firms handle safety concerns would make the average American EH&S tech. cry blood. I'm not saying we should be giving away our IP, either through theft or providing for the training of their R&D staff, but there are reasons why the USA didn't pursue CL-20 for scale up. Put simply, if you can't make CL-20 as a drop in replacement for TNT, RDX, or HMX both during its synthesis and shaping/casting/warhead manufacture, then you're going to have to justify the cost of new infrastructure to do it. Does a few hundred extra kJ of energy justify a new multi-billion dollar production line. My guess is that CL-20 fell victim to the "Nylon problem" that affects any new super polymer in development.
Deport every Chinese citizen already.
Energetics are certainly worthy of grave concern, not just the quality, but the single point of failure as noted above, and also the combined capacity to produce the energetics. Add on similar questions about the low tech missile and projectile/warhead manufacturing, and the places that marry the explosives (or propellants) into their container. And the fuzing and guidance stuff where appropriate. We are woefully deficient in all of these areas. Remember, TSMC chips are in all sorts of stuff, in addition to those chemicals and minerals from China. Even if we have the capacity, supply shortages may make them useless.
But we also need to think of the very likely scenarios which the Chinese might employ rather than just sinking our fleet, and downing our aircraft if we try to aid Taiwan. "The next war will be fought by one and zeroes" someone said. Do we have the capability to detect, prevent or recover from cyber attacks on our communications, power, water, refining, transportation, financial, medical and social infrastructure? What actions degrading U.S. military assets could take place with plausible deniability. Unexplained mining of harbors and approaches? Random attacks on the electrical grid and substations? Poisons in water supplies? Cut off the medical supplies and devices our wonderful healthcare system needs in huge quantities?
An undeniable EMP attack high over the heartland or 2 or 3 would throw us back to the 1880s in a flash, taking years to recover, and millions of deaths especially in the urban jungles.
Or, simply call their trillions of dollars in loans and collapse our economy, which is already a shambles and a joke?
Or, perhaps their best weapon is being able to confront a bumbling Bozo who has been bought off through prior investments directly to that individual or their family.
But, on our present economic, social and military trajectories, the Chinese need do nothing be sit patiently until we collapse from the rot plaguing our institutions. Of course, they can nudge that along, with the unrelenting supply of fentanyl to kill Americans, and endless flow of illegal invaders from hundreds of countries both effectively exacerbating existing problems
China almost certainly desires to avoid being nuked, and may employ numerous non-energetic options instead of a direct attack on the U.S. Are we prepared for any of those?
It's hard to overstate the tragedy of relying on the self-anointed best and brightest. Unserious is an understatement.
The biggest crime was during the Clinton Administration, Giving them Missiles guidance technology , super computers, Chinese scientists had free run at Los Alamos labs. The Clinton Admin was the best Presidency they ever paid for.
At least the Navy is on the espionage angle: "U.S. Naval Intelligence Office Reminds Staff to Treat Transgender Co-Workers with Dignity and Respect" (https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/03/31/exclusive-u-s-naval-intelligence-office-reminds-staff-to-treat-transgender-co-workers-with-dignity-and-respect/)