"I didn't realize that Taiwan was the only place in the world to get those components."
While I agree with most of what you've said re: China, I do think that on the semiconductor front, we(during the Clinton years) have placed ourselves in a somewhat vunerable position.
When I was a brand new EE, I worked in weapons system design and we were NOT allowed to design in ANY electronic components that were from offshore.
Hell, even Motorola now has most of its semiconductor fabs in China.
I personally think this IS a real threat. One part you can't get can take down a whole weapons system.
Regards,
EEDUDE
Of note - most of the non Chinese alternatives for low cost EMS are located in ASEAN and E. Europe. It is not a far stretch to envisage scenarios where *all* of these would be seized. In the case of ASEAN, an overland blitz on the heels of SRBM, IRBM and land based CMs would proceed down the autobahns now nearing completion from the Chinese heartland into central Thailand. In the case of E. Europe, resurgent anti Western neo-Communists or Nazis would nationalize the EMS facilities and Western based technologies. Some will call this tin foil, them them I say, you need to learn more.