Editorial Board
The Pentagon Needs an Arsenal of Allies
In a war with China, the US might not be able to make all the weapons it needs to win. Partners in the region can help.
Strength in numbers.
Photographer: Richard A. Brooks/AFP
The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have strained US weapons stockpiles and raised alarm about the state of the country’s defense-industrial base. In a potential future conflict, particularly with China, the US could find itself unable to produce all the weapons it needs to win.
The good news is that America has regional partners who can help fill the gap. But protectionist rules and bureaucratic inertia are preventing the US from making full use of allies’ industrial capacities.