https://www.csis.org/analysis/hyper...tern-hemispheres-role-us-china-power-struggle
Defense Implications
China's hypersonic resolve has been remarkable. By 2018, it had conducted over 20 times as many tests as the United States. According to the Pentagon, the United States is still lagging. This hypersonic prowess, combined with China's stranglehold on niobium, places the United States in a perilous position.
The strategic importance of niobium in next-generation defense systems cannot be overstated. As the U.S. military and its defense contractors increasingly rely on niobium-based superalloys to produce a wide range of equipment, from aircraft components to hypersonic missile systems, any disruption in the niobium supply chain could have significant repercussions.
Overall, China's growing influence and control over critical mineral supply chains poses a distinct challenge. Under the Biden administration, the United States and the European Union placed export controls and restrictions on strategic and critical minerals to curb China’s dominance in artificial intelligence and semiconductors. In retaliation, China imposed their own limitations on gallium, germanium, and graphite throughout 2023. A recent analysis by CSIS highlighted that China controls 90 percent of global gallium supplies, 90 percent of graphite, and 60 percent of germanium, all critical to the production of chips and electric vehicle batteries. The critical mineral supply chain has arrived at the forefront of strategic competition between the West and the People’s Republic of China.
China’s grip on the production, distribution, and pricing of niobium presents another layer of complexity: manipulating niobium’s availability to other nations. For the United States, already grappling with the challenges of overdependence on external sources for critical minerals, such a disruption could translate into significant production delays. The consequences could be serious: slower production of critical defense equipment, increased costs due to the potential need for alternative materials, and a cascading effect on existing machinery's maintenance and upgrade cycles. In this highly complex environment where timely responses to emerging threats are vital, these delays could hinder the United States' ability to promptly deploy or develop necessary defense systems
Introduction
In the evolving landscape of global defense, the arms race has metamorphosed from a contest of nuclear might to one of unparalleled speed. Hypersonic weapons (capable of exceeding five times the speed of sound), promise to revolutionize modern warfare.
China's strides in the hypersonic field are a manifestation of its broader strategic intentions and underscore its drive toward technological and military preeminence. This journey toward mastering hypersonic technology is not merely for show; it is about redefining the global balance of military power.
A successful deployment of these weapons would enable China to redefine the term “first-strike advantage.” Such a capability is not merely about striking first; it is about striking in a manner that leaves the opponent minimal time or capacity to react, effectively nullifying their defensive postures. This introduces a dangerous paradigm wherein the traditional cushion of time provided by early warning systems is drastically reduced. For the United States, this might mean that even with the world's most advanced detection systems, the window to act could be so minimal that it might be rendered ineffective. As the United States and China jostle for dominance in this arena, the strategic significance of an elemental material, niobium, emerges as a pivotal concern, and with it, China’s rising dominance in the Western Hemisphere’s mining sector.
Defense Implications
China's hypersonic resolve has been remarkable. By 2018, it had conducted over 20 times as many tests as the United States. According to the Pentagon, the United States is still lagging. This hypersonic prowess, combined with China's stranglehold on niobium, places the United States in a perilous position.
The strategic importance of niobium in next-generation defense systems cannot be overstated. As the U.S. military and its defense contractors increasingly rely on niobium-based superalloys to produce a wide range of equipment, from aircraft components to hypersonic missile systems, any disruption in the niobium supply chain could have significant repercussions.
Overall, China's growing influence and control over critical mineral supply chains poses a distinct challenge. Under the Biden administration, the United States and the European Union placed export controls and restrictions on strategic and critical minerals to curb China’s dominance in artificial intelligence and semiconductors. In retaliation, China imposed their own limitations on gallium, germanium, and graphite throughout 2023. A recent analysis by CSIS highlighted that China controls 90 percent of global gallium supplies, 90 percent of graphite, and 60 percent of germanium, all critical to the production of chips and electric vehicle batteries. The critical mineral supply chain has arrived at the forefront of strategic competition between the West and the People’s Republic of China.
China’s grip on the production, distribution, and pricing of niobium presents another layer of complexity: manipulating niobium’s availability to other nations. For the United States, already grappling with the challenges of overdependence on external sources for critical minerals, such a disruption could translate into significant production delays. The consequences could be serious: slower production of critical defense equipment, increased costs due to the potential need for alternative materials, and a cascading effect on existing machinery's maintenance and upgrade cycles. In this highly complex environment where timely responses to emerging threats are vital, these delays could hinder the United States' ability to promptly deploy or develop necessary defense systems
Introduction
In the evolving landscape of global defense, the arms race has metamorphosed from a contest of nuclear might to one of unparalleled speed. Hypersonic weapons (capable of exceeding five times the speed of sound), promise to revolutionize modern warfare.
China's strides in the hypersonic field are a manifestation of its broader strategic intentions and underscore its drive toward technological and military preeminence. This journey toward mastering hypersonic technology is not merely for show; it is about redefining the global balance of military power.
A successful deployment of these weapons would enable China to redefine the term “first-strike advantage.” Such a capability is not merely about striking first; it is about striking in a manner that leaves the opponent minimal time or capacity to react, effectively nullifying their defensive postures. This introduces a dangerous paradigm wherein the traditional cushion of time provided by early warning systems is drastically reduced. For the United States, this might mean that even with the world's most advanced detection systems, the window to act could be so minimal that it might be rendered ineffective. As the United States and China jostle for dominance in this arena, the strategic significance of an elemental material, niobium, emerges as a pivotal concern, and with it, China’s rising dominance in the Western Hemisphere’s mining sector.
