“There is obviously not enough military equipment”: how the US wants to increase weapons production

The US Department of Defense supported the plans of the American military-industrial complex Lockheed Martin to increase the production of weapons.

This was announced by the press secretary of the Pentagon, Brigadier General of the US Air Force Patrick Ryder during a briefing.

“I have seen some reports in the press regarding statements from Lockheed Martin.

Of course, it is always welcome on our part if the industry helps to provide not only our national security needs, but also the needs of our partners and allies around the world, ”said Ryder.

The spokesman also noted the need for further discussion of issues of increasing the production of weapons, including within the framework of NATO.

“We are collaborating with our allies and partners through events such as recent armaments director meetings to explore these needs (in armaments.

).

So this conversation will go on and on.

I see it as a strategic advantage that we, as a country, as part of the international community and partnerships, especially within NATO, can work together to identify these needs and quickly provide the necessary funds to those who need them, and when they need them. need,” Ryder said.

So he answered the question whether the production of 96 units of HIMARS per year is enough to cover the military needs of Kyiv, or whether "higher production rates will be required."

Earlier, Lockheed Martin CEO James Tyclet said that the company had already held a meeting with its "long-term supplier", with whom it planned to increase the production of HIMARS MLRS to 96 units per year.

In addition, the corporation intends to increase the production of GMLRS guided missiles, Javelin anti-tank systems and "some other" weapons.

“When it became clear about six months ago what was brewing in Eastern Europe, I met with some senior officials at the Pentagon and told them: “We will begin to invest in increasing the production of some of these systems, including those that you asked for. ".

A lot has been done to date,” Tyclet said.

• Lockheed Martin Corporation

• Legion Media

• © Duy Phuong Nguyen

According to him, Lockheed Martin is investing in the production and maintenance of the production potential of those products “which are currently necessary for the defense” of US allies, in particular, in addition to Javelin anti-tank systems and HIMARS MLRS, we are talking about F-35 fighters.

Armament problems

Against this background, the US administration has submitted a petition to Congress for additional powers to speed up the process of arms deliveries.

This is stated in a statement from the White House.

It also notes that the United States intends to establish a critical munitions purchase fund and open defense export transfer accounts.

The basis for such a request is called "lessons" learned from Washington's ongoing efforts to transfer additional aid to Kyiv.

In addition, the statement emphasizes that without the requested innovations, the US military-industrial complex is likely to continue to face the problem of meeting a sharply increased demand.

At the same time, the delivery of critical munitions or weapons systems to allies and partners to support long-term operations will be delayed, according to the White House.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden signed a memorandum on the need to expand and accelerate the production of weapons and military equipment in the country.

For this reason, the American leader suspended a number of requirements, including the need to explain in writing the needs of the national defense and notify Congress of the shortage of certain types of products for defense contracts.

The move is being done to "expand and accelerate domestic production" of critical weapons and hardware needed for national defense, the memorandum says.

At the same time, American experts and the media have repeatedly reported on the problems of the United States with stockpiles of weapons, including due to large-scale supplies to Kyiv.

Recall that since January 2021, Washington has already allocated more than $18.2 billion to the Ukrainian regime for military needs, including $17.6 billion since the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine.

So, at the end of September, the CNBC channel informed that the United States was running out of military equipment to transfer to Kyiv, in particular 155-mm howitzers and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) Javelin.

It is noted that the production of weapons, which is coming to an end, requires a highly skilled workforce and experience - "something that has been lacking in the US manufacturing sector for many years."

At the same time, the channel calls the production rate in the United States of the Javelin anti-tank systems low: about 800 units per year, despite the fact that Washington has already sent about 8.5 thousand copies of these systems to Kyiv - "more than a ten-year production volume."

Dave de Roche, a military expert and senior researcher at the US National Defense University, noted that it would “take months” to increase the production of weapons products for Kyiv.

He admitted that Washington would no longer be able to "supply the Ukrainians" with military equipment.

• Pentagon

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• © Stocktrek Images

Last week, retired US Marine Colonel Mark Kanchian, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in an interview with Fox News that the US would soon have to drastically cut arms supplies to Ukraine due to stock depletion.

According to the expert, Washington is running out of HIMARS, Javelin anti-tank systems and M777 howitzers.

Kanchian admitted that Washington would either be forced to buy weapons for Kyiv from third countries or slow down deliveries.

"Greatly deluded"

According to Vladimir Batyuk, head of the Center for Military-Political Studies at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the main goal of Washington’s current actions to prepare for an increase in weapons production is to do everything in order to replenish stocks after large-scale arms deliveries to Ukraine.

“The Americans clearly do not have enough military equipment, their stocks are sharply reduced due to the transfer of a number of weapons to the Kyiv regime.

So far, there is no talk of even maintaining the previous scale of deliveries, let alone increasing them.

Lockheed Martin is not in vain talking about increasing the production of MLRS HIMARS and Javelin anti-tank systems.

It was these weapons that Washington sent in large quantities to Ukraine, ”the expert said in a conversation with RT.

At the same time, Batyuk believes that the increase in defense production in the United States may take "more than one year."

“Much will depend on financing and on the extent to which Washington will afford such high spending on the production of new weapons in a rather difficult economic environment,” the analyst said.

However, in a RT commentary, Alexei Podberyozkin, director of the Center for Military-Political Studies, notes that even colossal sums will not allow Washington to produce the necessary weapons earlier than 18 months later.

“If the United States thinks that everything depends only on money, that you can pay and have sophisticated technological weapons like HIMARS in their pocket, then they are greatly mistaken.

The production of a small batch of such samples can take one and a half to two years, ”Podberyozkin said.

The fact that it will take several years to build up the capacity of the American military-industrial complex was also stated in an interview with RT by American political scientist Malek Dudakov.

“All this takes a lot of time.

The Ukrainian case is used in this case to promote the reputation of American weapons.

It will be delivered mainly not to Ukraine (perhaps the United States simply will not have time to produce it), but to Poland, Estonia and other European countries.

The relevant agreements already exist.

I admit that by this time Ukraine will not receive anything from the United States, ”the expert believes.

Dudakov explained that, in addition to the HIMARS MLRS and Javelin anti-tank systems, Washington also needs to replenish stocks of Stinger MANPADS and 155-mm howitzers, as well as shells for them.

“The Armed Forces of Ukraine are actively using HIMARS in Ukraine, and the entire Western press has helped create a reputation for this technique as some kind of miracle weapon that allegedly helps Ukrainians win, although these are ordinary missile systems.

But other countries, in particular Poland, are showing interest in them.

They are ready to buy them, and the United States is ready to produce them and make money, ”the analyst said.

• U.S. President Joe Biden (middle) at the Lockheed Martin facility, which manufactures Javelin anti-tank missiles

• AP

• © Evan Vucci

In turn, Podberezkin expressed the opinion that even if Washington manages to increase the production of certain types of weapons for Kyiv and transfer them to Ukraine before the end of the NMD, these deliveries will be detected and destroyed by the Russian military.

“The Russian Federation is already systematically destroying the HIMARS MLRS and other weapons in Ukraine.

The fact that the United States does not have enough weapons to wage any successful war with Russia at the hands of the Ukrainians is obvious, ”the expert concluded.