Much powerful than BrahMos..., better than Rafale, Sukhoi, F-35, this missile has left everyone in shock, developed by China, name is..., can hit...
During Operation Sindoor, the wreath and havoc caused by the BrahMos Missile system set a standard among the world and presented India as the superpower it is. The amount of damage it caused can still be seen in parts of Pakistan. But, there is a new missile system, in front of which BrahMos is nothing more than a child! This new missile system holds the power to badly disturb the military balance in the world.
What is this new missile system?
Scientists in China have made a very dangerous missile, and if what they claim is true, this could be something that can change the face of the world. According to a report by the South China Post, China has tested the Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile – an air to air missile with a range of 1,000 km.
What's Special in this?
A lot of countries do have this missile system but this one is different. This missile can travel at an astonishing speed on 5 mach, which is around 6112 km per hour. And the biggest ability it has is that it can hit the world's most modern jets like the F-35, F-22 Raptor, B-21 Raider from a distance of around 1,000 km. That means it can easily destroy fifth of 5+ generation fighter jets. In a likewise situation, one can image how effective it would be against fourth of 4.5 generation fighter aircrafts like the Rafale and Sukhoi.
Report says Chins is planning to deploy this weapon in potential conflict areas, like the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, as it is considered one of the most advanced weapons in the world
How is this missile so important?
The BVR technology is not new, but making a missile with this technology, and having such a long range is still a big challenge for the top scientists and military engineers of the world. Currently, Russia and America also have these missile systems, the R-37M and the AIM-174B respectively. The range of these missiles is around 350-400km.
India also has its own BVR missile system, the Astra MK-3 BVR System, and is trying to extend the range of it to 350-400 km.
If the Chinese claims are true, then it can change the face of the world, and disturb the power balance in the entire region.
How dangerous is this missile system?
As far as the capability is concerned, it will render the most advanced defence system currently, the 5th generation fighter jets, completely useless, and would eliminate the usefulness of AWACS and AEW&C aircraft. All these systems can be destroyed by this missile system before they attack the enemy.
Is there any danger for India?
With China developing this new system, the defence strategies and combat air patrol ranges of countries like India, Japan, Taiwan and America can be badly affected. This arises a challenge for India to increase its BVR missile capacity range. The country has already
succeeded in making Astra-1 and Astra-2, but we are still working in the hypersonic MK-3. DRDO and ISRO are working together on this. Work in the Astra series started in the year 2000. But, progress is quite slow. Currently, there is only MK-1 BVR missile, whose range is only 80-110 km. Military experts have pointed out quite a few flaws in it as well. Though, in 2022, the Ministry of Defence approved purchase of these missiles for the Air Force, for about Rs 3000 crore. These have been installed in some Sukhoi-30 MKI jets. The AK-2 series is almost on the verge of completion. Attempts of removing shortcomings in this have also been made.
What about the BVR technology?
This is the most advanced technology present today, and provides with the ability to attack beyond one's range of vision, hence the name. An air force pilot can normally see with their naked eye for around 37km, and can target enemy planes from this distance. The BVR technology is equipped with advanced radars, sensors and a lot of advanced navigation systems. It can destroy long range targets that are not even visible. It can search for the targets on its own, and are equipped with the fire and forget capability. India's Astra missile is based on this system.
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Army Chief Hails Operation Sindoor as landmark in India's counter-terrorism doctrine
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Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
UPSC Key: Microplastics, Kyoto Protocol and India's energy transition goals
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Inducting a variety of drones as standard weapons at battalion levels will enable better training, procurement and maintenance. • The Army will also establish Rudra brigades, which will consist of an all-arms brigade along with UAVs and other logistical elements. This will involve restructuring existing infantry, armoured and artillery brigades, which will allow Rudra brigades to function independently across various sectors as integrated units for future warfare. • For the Regiment of Artillery, establishing two batteries with an increased number of guns each, as well as adding a third drone battery equipped with surveillance and combat drones, are being considered. Currently, each artillery regiment consists of three batteries, each with six guns. • Divyastra artillery batteries are being created with next-generation long-range guns and loitering munitions capable of conducting surveillance and identifying and engaging targets in depth areas. They will be equipped with anti-drone systems for self-defence and area protection. • Currently, there is a reconnaissance platoon responsible for navigating and leading units to their targets alongside three squadrons/ companies in Armoured/ Mechanized Infantry battalions. The recce platoons will be enhanced with surveillance and strike drones. Discussions are also underway to have two expanded squadrons/ companies instead of three, converting the third into a drone-based squadron/ company or integrating attack drones as part of tank squadrons. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Drone swarming to smarter war rooms: Army's AI roadmap for ops by 2026-27 Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 1. In the context of the Indian defence, what is 'Dhruv'? 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This further delayed the mission until the final launch two weeks. • During the mission, the Indian team was present at both Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral where launch operations took place and at mission control in Houston, Texas, where real-time flight operations are managed — from crew health monitoring and communications to emergency response. Do You Know: • Axiom-4 commander Peggy Whitson, a veteran astronaut, holds the record for the most number of days spent in space by an American or a woman — 695 days across multiple missions. • India plans to build a sustained human spaceflight programme, with a space station targeted by 2035 and a human Moon mission by 2040. This will require setting up a permanent astronaut corps and regularly training new astronauts, like NASA and Roscosmos do. • Shukla, who returned to Earth with a splashdown on July 15, is currently undergoing reconditioning in the United States. 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Key Takeaways: • 'Plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age and are responsible for health-related economic losses exceeding $1.5 trillion annually. These impacts fall disproportionately upon low income and at-risk populations,' the report said. • The medical journal also launched a health-focused global monitoring system on the manufacture and use of plastics, called the Lancet Countdown on health and plastics. This is similar to the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change it had launched to monitor the health impacts of climate change. • From Tuesday, ministers and negotiators from across the world are meeting in Geneva for the second round of the fifth session of what is known as the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, which has been negotiating a Global Plastics Treaty for the last three years. This treaty is meant to be an internationally legally binding agreement to tackle plastics pollution across its entire life cycle, though serious differences persist over the scope and nature of this agreement. • The Lancet report said interventions such as an international agreement were necessary to reduce the dangers from plastics pollution. Do You Know: • Philip Landrigan, a paediatrician and epidemiologist, and Director of the Global Observatory on Planetary Health at Boston College, who is the lead author of the Lancet report, said that the new Countdown will identify and regularly report on a suite of scientifically meaningful and geographically and temporally representative indicators across all stages of the plastic life cycle. • Landrigan said there were two factors that make plastic a huge threat for all countries at every level of income. First is the sheer magnitude of the problem. • Second, plastics contain more than 16,000 chemicals. These chemicals leak out of plastic products during use and get into people, especially children. Landrigan said these include chemicals that are known to be human carcinogens, neurotoxicants, and endocrine disruptors as well as many more that have never been tested for toxicity and whose dangers are still unknown. • Early studies have shown possible links between microplastic and nanoplastic particles (MNPs) and lung diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, liver cirrhosis, myocardial infarction and stroke. In the past 2–3 years, MNPs have been increasingly reported in human tissues and body fluids in the general population, including blood, breastmilk, liver, kidney, colon, placenta, lung, spleen, brain, heart, great vessels, meconium, and feces. • Plastic production has surged from 2 million tonnes in 1950 to 348 million tonnes in 2017, with projections indicating a potential doubling by 2040. The proliferation of plastic waste has led to significant environmental challenges, including marine pollution and adverse effects on wildlife. • In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopted a resolution to develop a legally binding treaty addressing plastic pollution across its entire lifecycle. The proposed treaty aims to encompass measures from plastic production and design to waste management, emphasizing a comprehensive approach to tackling pollution. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍The planet's plastic problem: why we need a global plastics treaty Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 3. Why is there a great concern about the 'microbeads' that are released into environment? (2019) (a) They are considered harmful to marine ecosystems. (b) They are considered to cause skin cancer in children. (c) They are small enough to be absorbed by crop plants in irrigated fields. (d) They are often found to be used as food adulterants. Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 📍What are the impediments in disposing the huge quantities of discarded solid waste which are continuously being generated? How do we remove safely the toxic wastes that have been accumulating in our habitable environment? (2018) 3,400 km, 14 states: Survey proposes steps to curb elephant deaths on tracks Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: ACROSS INDIA'S 69,000-km railway network, elephants face a recurring threat as hundreds of rail stretches pass through dense forests. 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'The team suggested mitigation measures based on multiple factors including width of crossing zone, track height of the railway line, presence of drainage structure and human infrastructure (and consequent potential for conflict) in that segment,' said the survey report. Do You Know: • Among the 14 states, it has been proposed that 131 level crossings with ramps, the highest, will be built in Assam, which is home to 5,719 elephants, the second highest in the country as per the 2017 elephant population estimation. The government has proposed 125 level crossings with ramps in Maharashtra, and 92 in Uttar Pradesh. Karnataka had the highest wild elephant count in India at 6,049 followed by Assam (5,719), Kerala (5,706), and Tamil Nadu (2,761), according to the 2017 elephant population estimation. • The recommendations to build structures to prevent wildlife deaths were borne out of discussions between the Environment Ministry and Railway Ministry dating back to August 2022. An initial 110 railway stretches in sensitive elephant and tiger landscapes were provided to the railway ministry to prevent wildlife collision with trains. • While mitigation measures per se are not new, and have been built on a case-to-case basis, the recent attempt is aimed at preparing a consolidated and comprehensive framework, said a senior official of the environment ministry. • In addition to the mitigation structures, the railways have already commissioned Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) over 141 kms in Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). This is an artificial intelligence enabled system to detect elephant movements that alert loco pilots and railway control rooms. • Of the 926 km, work is underway on a substantial chunk of 349.9 km falling in the East Coast Railway zone. A 207.8 km stretch in Odisha, spanning 20 railway stations in the Sambalpur division, will be one of the longest to install the IDS. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Understanding Kerala's man-elephant conflict Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 4. With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements: (2020) 1. The leader of an elephant group is female. 2. The maximum gestation period can be 22 months. 3. An elephant can normally go on calving till the age of 40 years only. 4. Among the States in India, the highest elephant population is in Kerala. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 and 2 only b) 2 and 4 only c) 3 only d) 1, 3 and 4 only EXPLAINED What ICJ's landmark climate ruling means for Kyoto Protocol Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: While defining the obligations of countries in the global fight against climate change, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) made a crucial clarification regarding the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and its validity in a landmark ruling last week. Key Points to Ponder: • What is Kyoto Protocol? • What is the difference between Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement? • Why was the validity of the Kyoto Protocol questioned? • What does the ICJ ruling mean for the Kyoto Protocol? • 'Responsibilities of Developed vs. Developing Nations'-what you know about the same? • What is the principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC)'? Key Takeaways: • The ICJ has said the Kyoto Protocol not only continues to remain in force, but is also legally relevant, and that countries remain under a legal obligation to comply with its provisions. • The ICJ ruling is the first time that an authoritative assertion has been made on the legal status of the Kyoto Protocol in the post-Paris Agreement period. The common understanding so far has been that the Kyoto Protocol was replaced and superseded by the 2015 Paris Agreement. • In other words, the Kyoto Protocol had ceased to exist, or at least became non-operational or defunct, once the Paris Agreement came into effect in 2016, or at the most when the Kyoto Protocol's second commitment period ended in 2020. Do You Know: • The Kyoto Protocol, which was finalised in 1997 and came into effect in 2005, was the first legal instrument under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The agreement sought to operationalise the provisions of the UNFCCC through specific climate actions from countries. It assigned specific targets to rich and developed countries to reduce their emissions in particular time frames, called commitment periods. • Developing countries did not have any such targets, and were encouraged to take 'nationally appropriate' actions to help the fight against climate change. This was in keeping with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC), one of the foundational tenets of international climate law. • This principle, in effect, says while the whole world has a responsibility to take actions against climate change, the bulk of the responsibility lies with rich and developed countries. That is because these countries accounted for the overwhelming majority of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the last 150 years, which have caused climate change. • The Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period ran from 2008 to 2012, and the second from 2012 to 2020. Developed countries, a group of about 40 mentioned by name in Annex-I of the UNFCCC, had to reduce their GHG emissions by assigned amounts during these periods from baseline values in 1990. These countries also had to provide finance and technology to developing countries to help them tackle climate change, in accordance with the provisions of the UNFCCC. • The United States did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol. As a result, the world's largest emitter, both in current terms at that time and historically, did not have any obligation to reduce its emissions. Several other countries, such as Canada and Japan, either walked out of the Kyoto Protocol at a later stage, or refused to accept binding targets for the second commitment period. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Why ICJ ruling on climate change is significant Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 📍Describe the major outcomes of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). What are the commitments made by India in this conference? (2021) CAN PALESTINE BECOME A FULL MEMBER OF THE UNITED NATIONS? Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: Momentum seems to be building for more countries to recognize a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territory after France said last week it would do so in September. Britain said Tuesday it would follow suit at the U.N. General Assembly unless Israel had taken steps to ease the Gaza crisis and bring about peace. Key Points to Ponder: • How UN Member States are born? • What ts the current status of the Palestinians at the U.N.? • What happened last year? • how does the United Nations admit new member states? • What happened to the Palestinian application in 2011? • What is the U.S. position? • What is India's position? Key Takeaways: • The Palestinians are a non-member, observer state at the United Nations – the same status as the Holy See (Vatican). The General Assembly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in November 2012 by upgrading its observer status at the world body to 'non-member state' from 'entity.' There were 138 votes in favor, nine against and 41 abstentions. • In May 2024, the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly backed a Palestinian bid to become a full member by recognizing it as qualified to join and recommending the U.N. Security Council 'reconsider the matter favorably.' • That resolution also granted the Palestinians some additional rights and privileges from September 2024 – like a seat among the U.N. members in the assembly hall. The May vote by the General Assembly amounted to a global survey of support for the Palestinian cause to become a full member – a move that would effectively recognize a Palestinian state – after the United States vetoed the step in the Security Council in April 2024. • Countries seeking to join the United Nations usually present an application to the U.N. secretary-general, who sends it to the Security Council for an assessment and vote. Do You Know: • A U.N. Security Council committee assessed the Palestinian application for several weeks to see if it satisfied requirements for U.N. membership. But the committee was unable to reach a unanimous position and the Security Council never formally voted on a resolution on Palestinian membership. Diplomats said the Palestinians lacked the minimum nine votes needed to adopt a resolution. Even if they had won enough support, the United States had said it would veto the move. • The United States, Israel's most powerful and influential ally, has said a Palestinian state can only be established through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. • Currently, Palestine is a 'Permanent Observer State' — and not a 'Member State' — at the UN. There is one other Permanent Observer State in the UN — the Holy See, representing Vatican City. As a Permanent Observer State, Palestine is allowed to 'participate in all of the Organization's proceedings, except for voting on draft resolutions and decisions in its main organs and bodies, from the Security Council to the General Assembly and its six main committees'. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍UK plans to recognise Palestine in Sept unless Israel meets conditions: Starmer Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 📍'India's relations with Israel have, of late, acquired a depth and diversity, which cannot be rolled back.' Discuss. (2018) THE IDEAS PAGE Needed: More bargaining chips Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: Ashok Gulati Writes: This is an overdue agenda, irrespective of Trump's tariff pressures today. Hope India can do it. Key Points to Ponder: • How export diversification can serve as a strategic buffer against unilateral trade measures like U.S. tariffs? • What are the reasons behind the stagnation of India's agricultural exports since 2013–14, despite earlier rapid growth? • What are the role of specific agricultural commodities in growing exports during 2003–14? • Know the significance of services exports versus goods exports in strengthening India's trade resilience. • Know the implications of unilateral U.S. tariff actions on India's broader export markets. Key Takeaways: Ashok Gulati Writes: • US President Donald Trump has delivered a strong blow to India by imposing a 25 per cent tariff, plus some unspecified penalty, on exports of most Indian goods. Several experts suggest that this may hit overall GDP growth by 20 to 30 basis points. • In other words, the overall GDP growth in the financial year 2025-26 (FY26) may not reach 6.5 per cent as expected by the RBI, but may end up somewhere around 6.2 to 6.3 per cent. This is a significant loss, but not something that India cannot endure. • India's economy is growing at more than 6 per cent, against the US's economy growing at less than 2 per cent, India is still the fastest-growing large economy in the G20 group. Yes, the size of the Indian economy (about $4.19 trillion) is way below that of the US, which touches $30 trillion. But in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms, we are at more than $16 trillion and already the third largest economy. Do You Know: Ashok Gulati Writes: • A few things are clear from what has happened on the tariff front. First, the Trump-Modi bonhomie seems to be over. Investing in personal relations does not mean much to President Trump. He is transactional and focused on extracting as much from other countries as possible in the pursuit of his dream of Making America Great Again (MAGA). Second, he is very upset with Russian President Vladimir Putin for not heeding Trump's sermons on ending the Ukraine-Russia war – in his campaign, the US President had announced that he would end the war in 24 hours after taking office. • India's total exports of goods in calendar year 2024 were $442 billion, of which $80.7 billion, roughly 18 per cent went to the US. The high tariffs will surely impact such goods. The magnitude of the hit they will take actually depends upon tariff rates imposed on competing countries for each commodity. • The US's interest in agriculture is more in soya and corn, both GM crops. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had allowed GM cotton, traces of which are already in our food system. PM Modi has to take a stand, based on science, whether to allow GM food crops like rapeseed-mustard or BT brinjal, which are homegrown or to let in GM soya and corn through imports under tariff rate quotas. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍India needs its cards right to navigate a world governed by Trump's tariffs For energy security, a redesign Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc. What's the ongoing story: Vikram Singh Mehta writes: To achieve this goal, India must focus on not just conservation of the usage of fossils, but also the simplification and coherence of the energy regulatory system. Key Points to Ponder: • How the author of this article reframes India's energy security beyond the traditional metric of fossil fuel access and affordability? • What are the regulatory challenges faced by renewable energy investors in India? • How does the increasing share of renewables contrast with the supporting infrastructure in India? • What were the risk illustrated by Spain's blackout as invoked by the author of this article. • What lessons should India draw for its cross value chain renewable grid planning? • What is the role of political will in dismantling legacy vested interests to enable regulatory redesign in the energy sector? • In what ways can digitisation, standardisation, and convergence of regulatory processes contribute to achieving India's energy transition goals? • Do you agree with the author's assertion that there is no structural block to renewable expansion (unlike hydrocarbons)? Key Takeaways: Vikram Singh Mehta writes: • Energy security has typically been discussed within the frame of access, reliability and affordability of fossil fuels. Today, however, against the backdrop of global warming and India's commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2070, this results in too narrow a perspective. • India is on a two track energy trajectory. One track relates to the demand for fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) and the other to renewables (solar, wind, bio etc). The national objective is to decrease the share of the former and increase that of the latter in the energy consumption basket. To achieve this goal, India must focus on not just conservation of the usage of fossils, but also the simplification and coherence of the energy regulatory system. • India has done well to safeguard its energy security in the traditional sense. It has opened up multiple sources of crude oil and has resisted western government pressure to sanction Russia. Do You Know: Vikram Singh Mehta writes: • The supply of hydrocarbons depends crucially on geology. Governments have no control over a country's natural resource endowments. On the other hand, the supply of renewables faces no structural block. Sunlight and wind are 'freely' available; the technology for generating wind and solar energy is well established; the economics are competitive; and there is investor interest. • The rub is the multiplicity of regulatory agencies and regulators that bear on this sector. Plus the fact there is no one executive authority with nodal responsibility or accountability for its operations. • The positive is the government faces no structural block like geology to overcome this rub. It can, if it so wishes, undertake a root and branch reconfiguration and redesign of the current regulatory system. It can simplify the regulatory process by removing or converging the current multiple layers of oversight. • It can standardise operating rules; ease the process of land acquisition; digitise the approval process; align technical standards and safety conditions; render transparent the setting of network charges and supply contracts; and expedite dispute resolution. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍The clean energy transition has become messy PRELIMS ANSWER KEY 1.(c) 2.(c) 3.(a) 4.(a) For any queries and feedback, contact Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Priya Kumari Shukla is a Senior Copy Editor in the Indian Express (digital). She contributes to the UPSC Section of Indian Express (digital) and started niche initiatives such as UPSC Key, UPSC Ethics Simplified, and The 360° UPSC Debate. The UPSC Key aims to assist students and aspirants in their preparation for the Civil Services and other competitive examinations. It provides valuable guidance on effective strategies for reading and comprehending newspaper content. The 360° UPSC Debate tackles a topic from all perspectives after sorting through various publications. The chosen framework for the discussion is structured in a manner that encompasses both the arguments in favour and against the topic, ensuring comprehensive coverage of many perspectives. Prior to her involvement with the Indian Express, she had affiliations with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) as well as several coaching and edutech enterprises. In her prior professional experience, she was responsible for creating and refining material in various domains, including article composition and voiceover video production. She has written in-house books on many subjects, including modern India, ancient Indian history, internal security, international relations, and the Indian economy. She has more than eight years of expertise in the field of content writing. Priya holds a Master's degree in Electronic Science from the University of Pune as well as an Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from the esteemed Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, widely recognised as one of the most prestigious business schools in India. She is also an alumni of Jamia Milia Islamia University Residential Coaching Academy (RCA). Priya has made diligent efforts to engage in research endeavours, acquiring the necessary skills to effectively examine and synthesise facts and empirical evidence prior to presenting their perspective. Priya demonstrates a strong passion for reading, particularly in the genres of classical Hindi, English, Maithili, and Marathi novels and novellas. Additionally, she possessed the distinction of being a cricket player at the national level. Qualification, Degrees / other achievements: Master's degree in Electronic Science from University of Pune and Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta ... Read More
Economic Times
11 hours ago
- Economic Times
The stealth war: How China is quietly squeezing the lifeline of US military technology through 'magnets'
TIL Creatives Representative AI Image China is tightening its grip on the minerals that power the Western world's most advanced weapons, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. The controls aren't loud or flashy, but they're being felt in boardrooms, warehouses, and weapons factories across the United States. The Pentagon has already started to feel the strain. Missiles, fighter jets, radar systems, drones — all depend on a steady stream of materials like gallium, germanium, and rare earth magnets. And right now, that stream is being choked. In one example, a US drone component maker had its shipments of key Chinese-made magnets held up for weeks. Chinese suppliers had suddenly begun demanding detailed information about where the parts were going and how they'd be used. Chris Thompson, Vice President of Global Sales at ePropelled, said the company refused.'Of course we are not going to provide the Chinese government with that information,' Chris Thompson told a result, the magnets stopped arriving. Production delays followed. ET has not been able to independently verify these claims. These minerals aren't obscure. They're the building blocks of nearly every modern military is used in radar and satellite communications. Germanium is key for night vision and infrared imaging. Antimony is used in explosives and armour-piercing ammunition. Rare earth elements like neodymium and samarium are found in high-performance magnets, which power everything from missile guidance systems to drone propulsion and F-35 flight like dysprosium and terbium, are essential for heat-resistant alloys in jet engines. Others, like gadolinium, are critical for sonar and underwater surveillance materials aren't just important, they're irreplaceable. Substitutes either don't exist or don't work nearly as the problem isn't just that China mines a lot of them. It's that China processes and refines most of the global supply. Even when the raw materials come from somewhere else, they often pass through Chinese refineries before reaching the production isn't just a one-off problem. The deeper you look, the more it becomes clear: America's defence supply chain is built on materials it doesn't a defence analytics firm, recently found that more than 80,000 parts used across Pentagon weapons systems rely on minerals now facing Chinese restrictions. In many cases, these supply chains include only one or two vendors, and nearly all of them are connected to China. 'We talk about this daily and our companies talk about it daily,' said Dak Hardwick, Aerospace Industries Association, as reported by WSJ. Leonardo DRS, a US military tech supplier, warned it's already down to its "safety stock" of germanium, a metal essential for missile infrared sensors.'In order to sustain timely product deliveries, material flow must improve in the second half,' said Lenardo DRS's CEO Bill Lynn during a conference call with WSJ. That's the reality. Without these minerals, weapons can't be built. Full control isn't just about rare earths. It includes antimony, used in explosives. Gallium and germanium, critical for semiconductors and optics. Samarium, gadolinium, dysprosium, all found in advanced radar and targeting China blocked exports of germanium and gallium in late 2024, the market barely blinked at first. But by April 2025, it expanded the bans to cover seven more categories of rare earths. Prices spiked. Delivery times stretched out. In one case, a western buyer was quoted a rate 60 times above the usual market another, US Antimony Corporation had a shipment of 55 tonnes of Australian-mined antimony blocked at Ningbo port. It sat for three months before being sent back, with seals broken and no clear not supply chain risk. That's only one operational rare earths mine in the United States: Mountain Pass in California. While it's been scaling up output, refining remains a problem. Much of the ore it produces still ends up in China for Materials, which runs the mine, received over $400 million in US government funding to close that loop. But the gap between extraction and end-use is still has emerged as a possible new source of rare earths and titanium, with the US pushing to support its mining sector as part of postwar reconstruction. But experts are blunt about the timeline. 'Developing mine sites and sufficient infrastructure in the war-torn nation will take time, potentially decades,' said Aidan Knight, an associate analyst from GlobalData, as per a report by US Critical Minerals website. In the meantime, the Pentagon has invoked emergency powers under the Defence Production Act to fast-track domestic mining. DARPA is trying to predict global supply trends using modelling software. And companies like Charles River Analytics are being paid millions to map out alternative sourcing strategies. Still, none of this is fast. And none of it changes the fact that in 2024, China produced 750 out of 760 tonnes of primary gallium worldwide. The US produced is now the biggest factor. The Pentagon has ordered contractors to phase out all Chinese rare earth magnets by 2027. Most firms have a few months of stockpiles, at best. For smaller defence suppliers, that's not a transition, it's a cliff isn't the first time China has flexed its minerals. Back in 2010, it cut off rare earth exports to Japan over a maritime dispute. The move worked. Japan backed down. The message time, the target is wider. And the stakes are logic is simple. You can't build 21st-century weapons without 21st-century materials. If a missile guidance system needs gallium and there's no gallium, that missile doesn't get made. If a fighter jet needs neodymium magnets and none are arriving, the assembly line per a report by US Critical Minerals website, Lewis Black, CEO of Almonty Industries, which mines tungsten, put it plainly, 'We are trying to break that addiction [to Chinese supply] because… like all addictions, it is unhealthy. We cannot afford to go cold turkey because we are just not strong enough to do it."Until the addiction is broken, through new mines, new partnerships, and new infrastructure, Washington's military ambitions will remain dependent on decisions made in just a trade problem. A strategic vulnerability.
