WASHINGTON —
The war in Ukraine has exposed widespread problems in the US arms industry that could hinder the US military's ability to fight a prolonged war against China, according to a new report.
The report was issued a few days ago by the Center for Strategic and International Policy (CSIS) in Washington, which is one of the most important research centers specializing in military affairs.
He pointed to risks and threats to the US military industrial base, as it is not sufficiently prepared for the international security environment that now exists.
The report - which came in 44 pages and was seen by Al Jazeera Net - stated that in the event of a major regional conflict such as the war with China, it is likely that the stocks of many current weapons and ammunition of the Pentagon will not meet the requests of the branches of the US armed forces.
The report reveals that the 11-month-old war in Ukraine has exposed serious deficiencies in the US defense industrial base, and is a stark reminder that the protracted conflict poses a major challenge to the military industry, which may not be able to manufacture enough munitions, weapons systems, and materials to replace depleted stocks. within a short period.
Experts believe that with the possibility of a Sino-American conflict erupting because of Taiwan, the goal should be to support the required production capacity, to enable the United States and its allies and partners to deter.
The report called on the Ministry of Defense, in coordination with Congress, to develop a quick plan that includes taking steps to simplify and improve production, acquisitions, renewal, foreign military sales, and other policies and procedures, stressing that revitalizing the US defense industrial base will not happen overnight.
Impact of the Ukraine War
US military assistance to Ukraine - amounting to more than $24 billion - includes thousands of weapons systems and ammunition, which has helped Ukraine survive so far.
The report says that the Ukraine war is only a small part of the picture, and the most disturbing challenge is what the state of the US military industrial base will be like if one or more wars occur, including in the Indian and Pacific oceans, especially with the increasing competition between the United States and China, along with threats from Russia, Iran and North Korea.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Robert Pearson, professor of international relations and military expert at the Pentagon's West Point Military Academy, indicated that the United States will continue to maintain strong support for Ukraine by providing weapons and other forms of military assistance, whether through our current stocks, or Facilitate transfers from other NATO allies, or by facilitating the manufacture of new weapons that are supplied directly to Ukraine from manufacturers.
the bell of danger
According to the results of a series of crisis studies and various expected scenarios conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies over several months, some munitions such as long-range and precision-guided munitions are likely to run out in less than one week in the event of a conflict with China in the Taiwan Strait.
These shortcomings would make it very difficult for Washington to sustain any protracted conflict.
In contrast to the United States, China is investing heavily in munitions and acquiring advanced weapons systems and equipment 5 to 6 times faster than its American counterpart, according to some US government estimates.
The conclusion of the report is that "the US military industrial base is not sufficiently prepared for the competitive security environment that exists now, and it is currently operating at a pace more appropriate to the peacetime environment."
The most important weapons threat
The report enumerated many weapons systems that suffer from a severe shortage in their stockpiles, and at the top of this list we monitor 3 weapons that had a major role in the Ukrainian army's steadfastness against the Russians.
Javelin missiles, which are accurate long-range shoulder-mounted anti-tank missiles, are easy to use and highly effective. Ukraine was granted 8,500 missiles, which was instrumental in stopping the initial Russian attack.
Highly mobile artillery missile system "HIMARS", the United States has transferred only 20 missile systems to Ukraine, and since the numbers are very low and the production line is hot, replacing what arrived in Ukraine will take two and a half years.
Stinger missiles, Washington shipped 1,600 missiles to Ukraine, and the Ministry of Defense needs 6 years to compensate for what Kyiv got, as it can produce 350 missiles every year.
Washington options
Pearson said - who spoke in his personal capacity - that he does not envision that "the United States will limit its support or stockpile its weapons because of the shortcomings indicated in this report, but if policymakers are wise, they will study the supply issues revealed by the Ukraine war, and they will learn the appropriate lessons, They will make the necessary changes to meet the challenges from other threats in the coming years."
For his part, Steve Pifer, an expert on European affairs and disarmament at the Brookings Institution, believes that "the rapid rate of consumption of weapons and ammunition in the Russian-Ukrainian war is prompting the Pentagon to reassess what it needs in its stockpiles for war emergencies."
"The Ukraine war has long enjoyed bipartisan support, and American support for the war effort in Ukraine will remain," Beaver told Al Jazeera Net.
Congress had paid attention to this crisis, and allocated abundant funding in 4 supplementary programs totaling $113 billion to compensate for the weapons that were provided to Ukraine.
On the other hand, the report indicated that the Pentagon recently established a task force of senior officials to study ways to enable the Ministry of Defense to simplify the procedures for arms manufacturing contracts, with the aim of placing US weapons systems more quickly in the hands of the US military and Washington's allies around the world.