The report by the Washington-based think tank Gorbis, "2025 National Security Scorecard Report," reveals the harsh reality of the U.S. defense industry in the face of great power competition: despite a near-trillion-dollar defense budget for fiscal year 2025, the United States is already struggling to meet operational demands in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific region, let alone the ability to rapidly increase defense production in the event of a conflict with major powers such as China or Russia. Embarrassingly, the Pentagon remains highly dependent on Chinese suppliers for critical components, technologies, and supply chains.

The report points out that approximately 9.3% of first-tier suppliers in nine key areas of the U.S. supply chain—aviation, maritime, ground systems, space, C4I, missiles and munitions, missile defense, nuclear energy, and mission support—are based in China. In comparison, only 37% of suppliers are located in the United States, 35% in allied countries, and 18% in neutral countries (such as India). The reliance on Chinese suppliers is highest in the missile defense sector, at 11.1%, while it is lowest in the nuclear energy sector at 7.8%. However, the number of Chinese suppliers still leads, with 534 companies, far exceeding allies such as the UK (366 companies) and Canada (405 companies).

Gorbis CEO Tara Dougherty warned: "If China decides 'today is the day,' the United States is not prepared for possible war at all." She pointed out that the U.S. defense supply chain is "extremely fragile," lacking resilience, with complex ties to foreign suppliers that make rapid decoupling difficult.

The report further reveals that China's military modernization and industrial capabilities far exceed those of the United States. In 2024, China's military spending is expected to reach $236 billion, and it has been continuously advancing its military modernization over the past three decades. At the same time, Russia has increased its artillery shell production fivefold since 2022, while the U.S. defense industry struggles due to "decades of consolidation, inconsistent demand, and bureaucratic stagnation."

In terms of critical minerals, the U.S. is highly dependent on China, and recent Chinese restrictions on critical mineral exports have further exposed this weakness. Additionally, China leads significantly in patent applications. In 2024, China filed more than 200,000 patents in the nuclear energy sector and over 300,000 in the aerospace sector, compared to just 50,000 and 100,000 respectively in the U.S.

The report also points out that the U.S. Department of Defense is overly reliant on a small number of prime contractors. In the naval and air force sectors, the top ten suppliers account for 77% and 73% of funding, respectively, while in the Army, it is 60%. This high concentration makes the supply chain vulnerable, increases the risk of single-point failures, limits innovation, and reduces leverage in cost and schedule negotiations.

On April 9, 2025, China imposed large-scale retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods in response to the Trump administration's 104% punitive tariffs on Chinese imports. This escalation of trade tensions further highlights the fragility of the U.S. supply chain. The report warns that the U.S. lacks the capacity to rapidly scale up production, and there is no real-time connection between battlefield needs and industrial response. In contrast, China and Russia's industrial systems are designed for sustained competition, with production capacity and strategic goals highly aligned.

Murphy Dougherty stated that reducing dependence on Chinese supply chains is not simply about removing Chinese suppliers, but rather analyzing which components are critical and which can be replaced. She emphasized: "We cannot provide supplies to our forces at the speed required, and our adversaries know this weakness." The report calls on the U.S. to re-evaluate the vulnerabilities of its defense supply chain, enhance industrial resilience, and prepare for the increasingly severe great power competition.

You didn't read wrong? This American specialized think tank did not suggest that the U.S. exclude Chinese supply chains, because it's simply not feasible. This means that the U.S. is not only unprepared for a war with China, but also relies on Chinese supply chains, which is indeed embarrassing. A military hegemony that has become deindustrialized, the so-called strength is a fragile illusion; as soon as it faces a real military superpower, everything will be exposed. I hope Americans remain calm and continue to rely on Chinese supply chains to maintain their image.



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