US warns China acquiring weapons 'five to six times' faster than Washington

A top US Air Force official has warned that China has been acquiring new weapons "five to six times" faster than Washington. US Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Major General Cameron Holt said that Beijing is paying about $1 to $20 of the US to "get to the same capability," RT reported. He made the remarks at an industry conference in San Diego. 

Major General Cameron Holt said that the US is "going to lose" if they cannot bring the price down and enhance the speed of defence supply chains. Halt said that the US was at a disadvantage due to its "slow, micromanaged appropriation system" which was effective during Cold War, as per the RT report. He stressed that the US needs to understand the urgency of "greater power competition" as Beijing continues to hold a war against the international system which was built after the second world war. According to Major General Cameron Holt, Beijing has been making use of economic leverage and fighting an information war to succeed in its goal without making use of "force-to-force confrontation" in addition to enhancing its military capabilities. 

US top Air Force Official calls for 'cash flow model' 

According to Major General Cameron Holt, the US cannot compete with China in acquiring defence supplies, logistics and support due to the "resourcing and oversight," Eurasian Times reported. Holt explained that the current model that operates in the US is based on the one that functioned during the Cold War era. However, he emphasized that the model is not successful in the 21st century. He called for implementing a "cash flow" model that would permit some Pentagon funding movement which will result in Congress being more oversight over the process and will have the ability to get involved more quickly, as per the Eurasian report. He even suggested a system which has a more decentralized functioning and removes micro-management. 

Pentagon plans to include balloons in survelliance network

Meanwhile, US Defence Department is working to introduce balloons to rise above the competition from China and Russia, Politico reported. The high-altitude inflatables which will be able to fly between 60,000-90,000 feet will be included in the Pentagon’s extensive surveillance network. The balloons could be used for tracking hypersonic weapons. Pentagon has spent around about $3.8 million on balloon projects in the past two years and plans to spend $27.1 million in fiscal year 2023. 

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