Military

US to Boost Artillery Shells Production by 500% Within 2 Years to Supply Ukraine, Media Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US Department of Defense has been focused on boosting artillery shells production sixfold within two years to make up for weapons shortages caused by the Ukraine conflict and create stockpiles for possible future conflicts, American media claims, citing an army report.
Sputnik
US military facilities were producing 14,400 unguided shells per months before the start of the Ukraine conflict last February. The Pentagon tripled the production goal in September and then doubled it again in January to achieve 90,000 items per month, the report said.
The move to expand artillery production is part of "the most aggressive modernization effort in nearly 40 years" for the US defense industry, as Washington is planning to spend $1 billion a year over the next 15 years to upgrade and expand its network of production facilities, including boosting automation and improving worker safety, all to ensure faster artillery manufacturing, the media reported.
The US Congress has allocated $1.9 billion for the defense sector since August last year, the report said.
The US has committed more than $27 billion in military equipment and supplies to Ukraine since the start of the armed conflict, leading to its weapons stockpile falling below the rate at which defense manufacturers can replace it quickly, a Center for Strategic and International Studies study showed on Monday. For example, the number of Javelin shoulder-fired missiles shipped to Ukraine since August is equivalent to about seven years’ production worth and the number of antiaircraft Stinger systems equivalent to about 20 years’ worth of exports.
Western countries ramped up their military support for Ukraine after Russia launched a special military operation there on February 24, 2022, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. In April, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.
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