Pentagon Watchdog Says Ukraine, US Forces in Syria Received Non-Mission Capable Equipment
© AP Photo / Alex BrandonThe Department of Defense Seal is seen on the podium before Pentagon spokesman U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, in Washington.
© AP Photo / Alex Brandon
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US forces in Syria and the Ukrainian military received non-mission capable equipment due to poor execution of storage and maintenance requirements by a contractor at a US military base in Kuwait, the Defense Department Office of Inspector General said in a report on Thursday.
"The Army did not effectively manage contractor execution of the storage, maintenance and accountability of APS-5 [Army Prepositioned Stock–5] equipment," the report said.
"401st AFSBn-Kuwait [401st Army Field Support Battalion - Kuwait] officials issued non-mission capable equipment designated for Ukraine and military units in Syria."
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Defense Department officials selected 57 pieces of equipment for inspection and found that 25 of them - 24 vehicles and one weapon - were defective and non-mission capable due to at least one maintenance deficiency, the report said.
The report also said that the APS-5 contractor failed to protect 5,885 pieces of equipment, or more than 10% of all equipment stored there, and to account for 51 weapons and other sensitive items between November 2021 and January 2023.
The inspection also identified 50 questionable contractor invoices for a total of nearly $134 million that the Office of Inspector General recommended to be verified by the Defense Contract Audit Agency, the report added.
In 2023, the Office of Inspector General found that the same storage facility in Kuwait delayed the delivery of 29 Humvee vehicles and six M777 howitzers because the equipment was non-mission capable and required extensive maintenance.