The United States has found an endless source of shells for Ukraine and for itself – Russia today

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Globalization not only erases borders, but also increasingly unbalances the system of “friend or foe” division in world politics. The increasing complexity of political, financial and technological interests is blurring the classical concepts of allies and adversaries, causing consternation among adherents of the “old ways.” What was once perceived as a double game is now perfectly explained by national, commercial, technological and other interests. 155 mm “Dark Horse” ammunition. © dvidshub.net Recently, information leaked to the world media that the United States is negotiating to increase the purchase of explosives to increase the production of artillery shells in… Turkey. The reason for the American request is clear: the Western allies, however, decided to increase the production of shells. The increase in demand has led to a backlog of global orders and tensions in supply chains, especially for filling ammunition, i.e. the explosives themselves. The need is connected both with the production of grenades promised to Ukraine, and with production for itself, because the eastern wind increasingly carries the smell of gunpowder to the languid European capitals. Turkey is being asked to increase supplies of good old trinitrotoluene (colloquially TNT) and nitroguanidine, used in the production of 155 mm NATO standard ammunition. According to leaks to Western media from sources familiar with the negotiations, production could triple. At the same time, this year Turkey may become the largest supplier of artillery shells and their components to the United States. God of War © Lev Bubnov / Collage / ridus.ru Two years of violent conflict in Ukraine have shaken the ideas of Western scientists about the nature of European wars of the 21st century. Most military analysts could not imagine that conventional cannon artillery would again play almost a decisive role, as it did during the First and Second World Wars. This led to a significant reduction in the production of artillery shells of main calibers in Europe and the USA, as well as a significant part of their accumulated stocks. The conflict in Ukraine has led to a surge in demand for shells, both those promised to be delivered to Kyiv and those that may be needed for one’s own defense. Who would have thought that in the era of Mars rovers and hadron colliders, developed countries would again have to shoot shells and battle cannons, like in 1914 or 1939. Here the West, floating in the Martian clouds, was completely lost in tranquility. The East represented by Russia and North Korea. Thanks to stockpiles and production, they can still easily stockpile several million artillery shells per year. Moreover, given the almost dimensionless artillery fleet of the DPRK, it cannot be ruled out that Pyongyang is capable of operating not even millions, but tens of millions of shells. It is not yet clear what and in what quantities is stored in warehouses in China. Once upon a time, all this caused only jokes and barbs in the West about the arsenals of bullets and sabers; Today no one laughs at this anymore. Nothing personal, just business However, let’s return to the emerging “deal of the century” between the United States and Turkey, clearly impressed by Pyongyang’s achievements. This exposes the delicate balance between NATO allies. Relations have become complicated due to the conflict between Russia and the West, which is conditionally friendly to Turkey, as well as due to Ankara’s long blockade of Sweden’s entry into the North Atlantic Alliance. President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.© kremlin.ru Here it is simply impossible not to take off my hat to the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who, of course, deserves the title of a patriot of his country to the highest degree (we’ll say why later). In the entire history of the world, only a few have been able to so successfully improve the condition of their country, attracting financial flows coming simultaneously from all the warring parties of a dangerous conflict. Erdogan plans to visit the White House on May 9 to discuss the development of military ties between Ankara and Washington. Prior to this, he managed to successfully “sell” Sweden’s approval for NATO membership to supply Turkey with F-16 fighter jets, missiles and bombs worth $23 billion. F-16 fighter jet © flickr.com The ammunition partnership will be built on the same foundations. In late February, the Pentagon said it had awarded a contract to General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems to build three lines in Texas to produce metal parts for 155mm bullets. The Mesquite plant is scheduled to open in June. The blanks, made in Texas, will be filled with explosives produced by Turkish companies. Some of the ammunition will be produced in full cycle directly in Turkey. It is expected that by 2025, the production lines of the Turkish company Repkon will produce up to 30% of all 155-mm artillery shells produced in the United States. US Army © dvidshub.net In addition, the Department of Defense purchased 116 thousand combat-ready ammunition from the Turkish company Arca Defense, which will be delivered this year. As the Pentagon notes, cooperation with Turkish allies “is key to building a global defense industrial base.” By reaching an agreement with Turkey, the US has successfully outpaced the EU in the growing arms race. Faced with the impossibility of quickly establishing the production of shells, the European Union was unable to reach an agreement with Ankara, since such an alliance was opposed by France, Greece and Cyprus, which at different times were “offended” by Turkey. While the EU was trying to come to an internal agreement, the United States seized the initiative. Instead of an afterword Whether one likes it or not, more and more signs indicate that the longest period of peace in post-war history is coming to an end. The danger of a major global war between postmodern civilization and a civilization similar to the civilizations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries has already moved from the hypothetical category to the completely real category. Considering the military potential accumulated in the world over the past decades, it will have fatal consequences for its participants. This does not mean that such a war is inevitable, but its likelihood is increasing every day. In this situation, it is useful to recall the wisdom confirmed by centuries of human development. It lies in the fact that in wars around the world, the side that participates minimally or not at all in the main battles wins. During the First World War (and parts of the Second World War), the United States found itself in a role that ensured its subsequent century of prosperity. In the 21st century, before Xi Jinping came to power, this role could almost certainly go to China. Today Türkiye consciously and purposefully demands this…

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