If this thing does what the science predicts it will do, overseas supply chains will breakdown. They are already slow. If that happens, the scaling down of the Qantas engineering capability and the closure of the car industry will look like the major blunders they are because offshore maintenance will not be possible. To put that another way how is HAECO doing at present?
I can see a time when we really are “on our own” and engineering capability is going to have to be found or created the hard way. The first thing that will be a problem is engineering consumables: batteries, filters, belts, fasteners, etc. then it gets worse. I would imagine smart managers are already thinking about this.
And this begs the question of the USA picking a fight with China........... Qantas may end up doing B787 double sunrise flights again.