this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2024
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Saab chief cautions that Beijing dominates supplies of a key component to make powder to fire shells, and metal for submarines and warships.

Europe is too reliant on China to make powder for ammunition and risks a supply crisis that could threaten the continent’s security, one of the EU’s most important defense contractors warned.

In an interview with POLITICO, Saab CEO Micael Johansson called on governments to cut environmental rules to make it easier for companies to diversify their supply chains for critical military components.

Beijing plays a key role in supplying EU countries with the raw materials they need for their defense industries, even though China is also providing vital support to Vladimir Putin’s war machine in Ukraine. 

When it comes to the supply of ingredients for gunpowder — the propellant used to fire out shells — Western defense firms should look to diversify their sources, said Johansson.

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Cut environmental rules so we can make more weapons

I... What a time to be still alive

[–] [email protected] 15 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

Some were thinking we'd die of WW3 before climate change fucks us up, but then climate change started accelerating and SOMEHOW so does the global peace stability now. It's a race

[–] [email protected] 15 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

This is the sequel, not the prequel.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

It's also ludicrous. If Nazi Germany could figure out how to produce the necessary nitrates from domestic supply I'm pretty sure the EU can too.

Now, if neo-fascist Italy was whining about not having African colonies to give them bat shit, that'd track.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Beijing plays a key role in supplying EU countries with the raw materials they need for their defense industries, even though China is also providing vital support to Vladimir Putin’s war machine in Ukraine.

China is by far the top producer of rare earth minerals, so if you constantly produce army equipment that relies on them, China is going to become your bottleneck. Now, who has more interest in making sure this strategic issue gets addressed? International private contractors which only goal should be making a good buck, possibly by showing off latest tech toys with a price you can over-inflate as much as you want, or actual armies and governments, which should always maintain an holistic view of their long-term challenges and goals? Production is almost single-handedly managed by the former. Why have we allowed them to bring us into this dead end?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

China is by far the top producer of rare earth minerals...

Not for long.

Why have we allowed them to bring us into this dead end?

We are big dumb but we're not quite so dumb as to not try and fix the problem.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Holy shit there is actually something in Wyoming.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

As soon as the armies and governments that buy most of that stuff cares the industry will too. Now money talks end everyone cares about cost more than supply chain so the low cost supply chain wins. Pay more and you can get a different supply chain.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 months ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Europe's supply? If China is supplying it, then it's China's supply and they're currently selling it to Europe, but they're not required to sell it to Europe. I know Europe has a long history of imperialism, but the world's resources don't belong to them.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

It refers to the part that makes it into Europe and is thus Europe's supply. Even stretching it, it supplies Europe and is thus Europe's supply. The possessive form does not indicate control over all or part of the supply.

My water supply comes from the county. Your air supply comes from, well... the air, or the Earth.

If Europe still was the colonial power it once was, you might have a point. Not a semantic one but a "bad choice of word"-one. But it's not and so you don't.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I mean... Tell me you are pedantic without telling me you are pedantic...

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

Phrasing is important, especially for headlines. It often paints people's entire impression of a situation.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


Europe is too reliant on China to make powder for ammunition and risks a supply crisis that could threaten the continent’s security, one of the EU’s most important defense contractors warned.

In an interview with POLITICO, Saab CEO Micael Johansson called on governments to cut environmental rules to make it easier for companies to diversify their supply chains for critical military components.

Beijing plays a key role in supplying EU countries with the raw materials they need for their defense industries, even though China is also providing vital support to Vladimir Putin’s war machine in Ukraine.

Johansson's comments come as Brussels is also pushing an economic security agenda to reduce dependencies on Beijing — in a bid to "de-risk" the bloc's supply chains.

They can do that "either by identifying new producers — but whose cotton they need to re-qualify for powder manufacture, which takes time — or by investing in new solutions such as wood cellulose, which some are already doing," the official told POLITICO.

Before Moscow invaded Ukraine, Europe's aerospace giants including Airbus were heavily reliant on Russia for titanium, which is a key material for the defense industry, used for building both military aircraft and submarines.


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