Manufacturers say it’s becoming difficult to find the components for smokeless gunpowder and Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says the Biden Administration should conduct an inventory of the gunpowder supply.
So-called smokeless gunpowder is more efficient and produces less smoke than black gunpowder. The Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas Wars have increased demand and depleted supplies of smokeless gunpowder, which is the propellant used to hurl artillery shells. Ernst says President Biden should exercise his full authority to secure the supply chain and ensure our military and U-S allies have what they need.
A key ingredient in smokeless gunpowder is a certain type of cotton, which comes from China. This spring, the European Union offered grants to companies that develop a substitute ingredient.
