The Defense Department should require all rockets to be made in the United States and should consider using smaller, more efficient companies like SpaceX to keep costs in line.
Hellfire
The AGM-114 Hellfire is an air-to-surface missile developed primarily for anti-armor use. It was originally developed under the name Helicopter Launched, Fire and Forget Missile, which led to the acronym "Hellfire" that became the missile's formal name. Hellfire missiles are a widely used, reliable, and effective weapons launched from attack helicopters and unmanned drones. This missile is the primary 100-pound class air-to-ground precision weapon used by the armed forces of the United States.
The United States is completely dependent on a single Chinese company (1,2,4 Butanetriol) for the chemical needed to produce the solid rocket fuel used to propel Hellfire missiles. As current U.S. supplies diminish, our military will be dependent on China to maintain this missile system. Hellfire missiles are a critical component in America's arsenal.
Common Sense Dictates,
"Thou Shall Not Rely on Russia and China"
Retired Brigadier General John Adams wrote a report recently titled, Remaking American Security: Supply Chain Vulnerabilities & National Security Risks Across the U.S. Defense Industrial Base. General Adams said, "America's vulnerability today is frightening. This report is a wake-up call for America to pay attention to the growing threat posed by the steady deterioration of our defense industrial base. Excessive and unwise outsourcing of American manufacturing to other nations weakens America's military capability. As a soldier, I've witnessed firsthand the importance of our nation's ability to rapidly produce and field a sophisticated array of capabilities. There is a real risk that supply chain vulnerabilities will hamper our response to future threats."
The Buy American Act prohibits imported purchases by the government for products such as Russian rockets and Chinese fuel. Importing these crucial products also violates principles of common sense that we should not be reliant on supplies from countries that may be in a shooting war against the United States or our allies. Let's put common sense and independence back into the Pentagon's thinking.
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