Key Tool to Prepare US for Major Conflict

The warnings aren’t new. For years, think tanks, the government, and the media have all raised concerns over America’s lack of military readiness. Solving the crisis could hinge on government contracts, one expert says.   

“U.S. military readiness has been degraded over the last two decades due to a variety of challenges,” the U.S. Government Accountability Office wrote in a report back in March.  

The Heritage Foundation’s 2024 Index of Military Strength concluded that “U.S. does not have the necessary force to address more than one major regional contingency and is not ready to carry out its duties effectively.”  

And on Monday, Politico warned that the “U.S. doesn’t have enough weapons for a major conflict.”  

As Politico noted in its report, and as Heritage’s research associate for national security and European affairs, Jim Fein, concurred, manufacturing is a major issue. But Fein told The Daily Signal that the issue goes a step beyond defense manufacturing companies simply not making enough weapons and “comes down to government orders.” 

Government Contracts  

“The U.S. government orders weapons on a year-by-year basis, and most of the time roughly at or below current manufacturing capacity,” Fein explains. “In order to get added capacity, orders need to be above capacity, [which is] basic supply/demand economics.” 

“It isn’t just a problem with prime contractors,” he added, noting that production can’t expand without well-functioning supply chains for both raw materials to intermediate components. 

“The companies that make these intermediate parts are often small, and have a more difficult time acquiring capital to make investments, especially without a contract,” he said. “Even if prime contractors increased their capacity, their supply chains are inadequate and require investment that will only come about once they have contracts and a long-term demand signal.”  

Warnings over the lack of America’s military readiness have gained additional attention in recent years, given the growing threat from the Chinese Communist Party.  

“China has built a capacity to sustain a protracted war of any type. More directly, China is well-postured to sustain a protracted high-intensity war of attrition. The United States is not currently capable of doing so,” the Army War College’s War Room wrote in 2023.  

Tensions between the U.S. and China have remained high in recent months amid trade talks and tariffs. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on China, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent assuaged fears of the threat over the weekend, telling NBC News a trade deal framework is now in place ahead of Trump’s meeting Thursday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.  

Trump’s meeting with Xi in South Korea on Thursday is expected to focus on economic issues between the two countries.