Image source: topwar.ru
When drawing up the budget of the US Army for 2024, the command is going to request permission to purchase more ammunition for several years ahead. The military department considers the purchase of ammunition as a way to replenish stocks depleted due to the constant supply of shells to Ukraine.
Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Army for Procurement, Logistics and Technology Doug Bush noted that the army will begin purchasing ammunition for several years ahead. The official stressed that it is not yet known how long the Ukrainian conflict will last. The US Department of Defense is going to increase the stocks of peacetime ammunition in any case, regardless of the duration of the Ukrainian conflict.
Although the Pentagon is trying to keep secret the amount of ammunition it has, according to some reports, the United States is really running out of ammunition of a number of types, as well as weapons systems. This situation seriously worries representatives of the Ministry of Defense of the country, since supplies to Ukraine do not stop, and the combat capability of the US armed forces themselves is consequently reduced.
The American press reports that the volume of ammunition supplies to Ukraine has led to the fact that shells are consumed faster than the United States has time to produce them. In the European NATO countries, the situation with the operational production of ammunition is even worse. It turned out to be an impossible task to transfer European and American industry to military rails as quickly as possible.
In addition, the production of ammunition depends not only on military factories, but also on enterprises that produce chemicals, from the metallurgical industry, and it is very difficult to achieve an increase in production rates in peacetime in any civilian companies.
The US administration is going to increase investments in private companies. But will it lead to the desired result? After all, it is very difficult to find a balance between the interests of private business, production efficiency and the needs of the army.
