YES: On Arms Delays, Learn From Ukraine or Lose to China.

The war in Ukraine has exposed a deep vulnerability: from missiles to tanks, the West at present cannot produce needed weapons at speed and scale. This has meant a desperate struggle for Ukraine, but it also portends a potential crisis for the U.S. in the seas and air should an unanticipated prolonged conflict occur in the future such as is the possible case with Taiwan.

Particularly in the INDO-PACOM, where China’s military strength has reached unprecedented levels, American defense leaders looking to deter war, the time is now to surge production of proven assets that can best position the U.S. to win a fight in the Indo-Pacific. The F-35 should top their list. Though the defense industrial base is positioned to deliver such an increase, multiple obstacles remain on the government side of the equation. These must be overcome if America is to field enough of the highly capable fighters in time to make a difference.

As I’ve written before, it’s better to learn of these deficiencies during somebody else’s shooting war than during your own. The question is whether we’ll actually do anything about it, and one Beijing will watch closely to learn the answer.