US Needs Wartime Defense Production to Counter China: Gates

US may need wartime footing to counter China: Former Defence Secy

Washington, May 17

Speaking on CBS News, Gates said that Washington faced mounting shortages in precision-guided munitions, missile defence systems and drone capabilities at a time when Beijing was rapidly expanding its military and industrial strength.

"It is a problem," he added when asked about concerns over declining American weapons stockpiles.

The former Pentagon Chief noted that the US needed significantly faster expansion of defence manufacturing capacity and warned that bureaucratic delays in Washington were slowing urgently needed investments.

"What's needed is accelerated action in actually starting to get these factories built and expand these capabilities," Gates said.

He pointed specifically to the growing importance of drone warfare and missile defence systems after lessons from Ukraine and the Iran conflict.

"I've read that Ukraine is going to produce seven million drones next year," Gates said.

"We need that kind of capacity in the United States."

Gates said shortages were particularly acute in precision-guided munitions and defensive missile systems such as Patriot missiles, THAAD systems and the Navy's Standard Missile-3 interceptors.

He added that the US needed to behave with far greater urgency given the scale of strategic competition with China.

When CBS News compared the situation to Ukraine's wartime economy, Gates replied: "Absolutely."

The comments came amid wider concerns in Washington over whether the US defence industrial base can sustain multiple geopolitical crises simultaneously, including tensions with China, the Iran conflict and continued military support for Ukraine.

Gates also warned that China now represented a more comprehensive challenge than the Soviet Union ever posed during the Cold War because of its technological, industrial and global economic influence.

"We have not faced a country that was as technologically advanced as we are," he said.

The former CIA Director said China was already ahead of the United States in shipbuilding capacity and was approaching American power levels across several sectors.

At the same time, Gates suggested Beijing was unlikely to attempt a near-term full-scale invasion of Taiwan, partly because Chinese leader Xi Jinping may still lack full confidence in his military leadership after years of anti-corruption purges inside the People's Liberation Army.

Still, Gates warned that China could pressure Taiwan through blockades, cyber operations and economic coercion without launching a direct invasion.

The remarks are likely to resonate strongly in India, where defence planners are closely monitoring both China's military modernisation and evolving US strategy in the Indo-Pacific.

India has accelerated defence cooperation with the United States, Japan and Australia through the Quad framework while also investing heavily in domestic defence manufacturing, drones and missile systems after repeated military standoffs with China along the Line of Actual Control.

— IANS