"Ukraine's high burn rate for artillery has hammered home the need to invest even more in munitions. So compared to the defense budget from just five years ago, we're putting nearly 50 percent more money into munitions," Austin said in his remarks at the Ronald Reagan National Defense Forum in California.
He also pointed out that during the Biden administration's tenure, the production of artillery shells in the US will quadruple.
He added that US will continue to support Ukraine amid ongoing hostilities in the Middle East.
The Pentagon chief believes that the outcome of the Ukrainian crisis will define global security for decades to come.
At the same time, the Pentagon still refuses to provide data on the amount of support for Israel.