(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) As Congress continues to send tremendous amounts of weaponry to Ukraine, the U.S. military’s stockpile to protect our homeland is quickly emptying.
A study performed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies described the remnants of our ammunition as “limited,” with America’s cache dwindling in favor of a country our politicians have a vested financial interest in.
To date, the U.S. military has sent more than one million rounds of 155 mm howitzer ammunition, 8,500 Javelin anti-tank missiles, 32,000 various anti-tank missiles, 5,200 Excalibur precision 155 mm howitzer rounds, 1,600 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and scads of other types of advanced, high-powered munitions.
Recently, President Joe Biden sent 30 tanks to the embattled region, despite previously saying that doing so would be an act of outright war on part of the U.S.
According to Legal Insurrection, the situation will likely make military unit training more difficult, as well as interfering with future “war plans.”
These plans could include defending Taiwan should China invade, the possibility of a war with North Korea or even an escalated conflict within Europe.
CSIS is not the only institution looking into the issue. The Heritage Foundation’s Center for National Defense describes the lessened stock as “insufficient.”
“The fact that only a few months of fighting in Ukraine consumed such a large percentage of U.S. Stingers and Javelins suggests that the DOD’s plans, and the stockpiles that result from them, are insufficient.”
The Washington Post and National Defense Industrial Association also admit the grimness of the situation.
U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro came forward this month addressing the problem, explaining that manufacturers cannot arm both America and Ukraine.
“With regards to deliveries of weapons systems for the fight in Ukraine… yeah, that’s always a concern for us,” he said. “And we monitor that very, very closely.”
“I wouldn’t say we’re quite there yet, but if the conflict does go on for another six months, for another year, it certainly continues to stress the supply chain in ways that are challenging,” he added.
The U.S. Naval Institute made a statement saying that weapons reserves are “not at the level we would like to go into combat.”
Army General Mark Milley, who chairs the Join Chiefs of Staff, claimed that The U.S. “will continue to support [Ukraine] all the way,” and “we will be there for as long as it takes to keep Ukraine free.”
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is approaching its first anniversary. In one year, Congress elected to send nearly $2 billion in funding for the war effort, along with more than $27 billion in weaponry.
