The Middle East war depleted US weapons. Rebuilding will require China's cooperation.

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Politico

04/09/2026 11:04 AM EDT


The Middle East war has depleted a key part of the United States’ missile defense system in the region. To rebuild, the U.S. needs to go through China. In just over a month of war, Iran has targeted several U.S. radar units spread across the region, cutting-edge defensive weapons that are used to detect and shoot down incoming missiles and drones. Military experts believe many have been damaged, if not destroyed.

A key component of those interceptors is gallium, a critical mineral that is also used in other high-tech products like semiconductors. China has a near total monopoly over the processing of gallium. And it has already proven willing to limit access. Increased U.S. demand for the metal to rebuild its interceptors — a process that will take years — only strengthens Beijing’s hand in the upcoming summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

“Broadly does it make us more vulnerable? Yes, I think so,” said Mikhail Zeldovich, an investor focused on critical minerals. “I don’t think there’s any doubt there.”

Already, prices for gallium have increased by 32 percent in the past month, after months of lower prices following an Oct. 30 agreement between the U.S. and China. The negotiations were sparked in part by China’s near total control over the processing of critical minerals, including gallium, leverage the country used to cut off supply and force the U.S. to the negotiating table.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/09/middle-east-war-weapons-china-00864622

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[OC375]

1. Probably a sign you need to rethink your weapons tech.

[ffr]

2. Yup. Exactly what I was thinking too. Modern warfare is changing and defense systems needs to

change with them.

[underpants]

3. Whoa whoa whoa say Senators and Congression members with plants in the district

What will Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon), Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, and Boeing think?

[Cheezoholic]

4. The US was going to pull the only THAAD system in S Korea (who borders a country who DOES HAVE A BOMB AND ICBM!)

Back into Saudi Arabia or UAE, whichever, after Iran blew one of these 700 million dollar systems up with a weed eater with wings, or one of their fairly simple "long range ballistic missiles" because you know, Iran DOES NOT HAVE AN ICBM nor the BOMB, yet anyway unlike the other crazy bastard whose now FREE and CLEAR to launch whatever the fuck he wants at the West Coast of America (Don't think for a second he's not thinking about tossing a blank at Hawaii again just to rattle cages).

Regardless, yeah. These THAAD billion dollar boondoggles are so complex and hard to build it takes 5 years to build one. There's only 12 or 13 or so in the world. So not only did FatFuck and Kegsbreath burn through our Tomahawks faster than Whiskey Pet and a halffer of Old Grand Dad, but they got at least 1 (I heard 2 but can't confirm) of these THAAD's knocked out, PLUS they are burning through simple air dropped bombs even faster. There is a constant, every 30 min 24/7 flow of C17's flying into Israel from US bases in Europe and trust me, they ain't carrying cotton candy. We don't pack our fighters and bombers full in Tel-Aviv. These things are carrying one thing and one thing only. 500 to 2k pounders being used to commit Ethnic Cleansing in S Lebanon, FOR FREE, ON OUR DIME, BECAUSE THEY DON'T PAY FOR SHIT. You know, like FatFuck claims NATO countries do. NATO countries dont pay shit he says. And this BS that countries like Spain aren't helping us. C5's are landing there and transferring, I'm assuming munitions, because 3 hours later another takes of from there headed to Ramstein where 6 hours later a stream of C17's head to Israel, but yeah, across the Atlantic from the states EVERY DAY! I've never seen so much military cargo traffic, EVER!!

EVERYBODY IS GETTING RICH OFF OF OUR TAX DOLLARS LIKE NEVER BEFORE IN HISTORY!!!!!!

But seriously folks, Wheel of Fortunes coming on, so don't worry about it....
JFC!!!