In an interview with CNN, Jake Sullivan, the US President’s National Security Advisor, revealed that the United States is facing ammunition shortages in its own arsenals while providing military aid to Ukraine.
Sullivan mentioned that after assuming office, the Biden administration discovered that the stock of 155-mm munitions, which is standard for NATO, was relatively low. Replenishing these supplies to an acceptable level would require years, not months.
To address this issue, the Pentagon has been instructed to swiftly enhance the nation’s capacity to produce sufficient ammunition for any conflict at any time. Month by month, the United States is increasing its ammunition production capabilities.
The US recently sent cluster munitions, including 155 millimeter artillery shells to Ukraine as part of a new $800 million security assistance package.
US officials emphasized that while there is a set level of munitions in stockpiles worldwide, serving as an emergency reserve, the military is unwilling to part ways with them. The specific quantities of these stockpiles remain classified.
Meanwhile, Ukraine urgently requires supplies to sustain its ongoing counteroffensive, which is progressing at a slower pace than anticipated, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley.
To meet Ukraine’s needs and maintain an adequate level of national defense, the US has commenced increasing its ammunition production. The Army’s production ramp-up of 155mm artillery ammunition is proceeding as planned, nearly doubling monthly production with contracts in place for further rapid escalation over the next eighteen months, said Army spokesperson Ellen Lovett.
