FASTER, PLEASE: Pentagon rushes to fix challenges in deterring China, including shortage of ships and missiles.

The Pentagon under War Secretary Pete Hegseth is focused on deterring China and strengthening America’s position in the Pacific, and it is working to rejuvenate the sclerotic U.S. defense sector, which cannot currently produce the number of munitions and ships that may be needed in a potential conflict with the Chinese.

President Donald Trump has issued numerous executive orders aimed at fixing the flawed defense industrial base (DIB), and Hegseth recently announced a new acquisitions strategy aimed at revitalizing the DIB, but for now the U.S. faces strains on its stockpiles of missiles and is significantly overmatched by China in terms of how many ships each nation can build.

“Significantly overmatched” is an understatement. We’re barely in the game any longer.