Remember

 

when we were being told the Russians were running out of ammo?

Going to war? Good news! The United States is 13 years behind in ammunition production, NYT reports

March 25, 2023

"Missile and munition stockpiles are dwindling as the US continues to send aid packages to Ukraine."

"Since production capacity changed after the Cold War, the US can no longer keep up with wartime demands."

"The United States' commitment to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion appears to have rattled the stability of the domestic stockpile of missiles and munitions."

('They dont fight wars like we do" somebody been trying to tell ya.

They will run you out of weapons first.

THEN, comes the real war.

And you don't 'switch' to a war of attrition as some have suggested following the Russian convoy to Kiev's stall.

You plan it out years in advance.

We got caught with are pants down, people know it and they are trying their best to keep you in the dark about it.

Somebody has been saying all of this for a long time now...)

"The Biden administration has promised — as part of $33 billion sent in military aid for the besieged country so far — a US Patriot air-defense system will be sent to Ukraine, along with over 200,000 rounds of artillery, rockets, and tank rounds."

"In fulfilling those promises, The New York Times reported the US has sent Ukraine so many stockpiled Stinger missiles that it would take 13 years of production at recent capacity levels to replace them. The Times added that Raytheon, the company that helps make Javeline missile systems, said it would take five years at last year's production rates to replace the number of missiles sent to Ukraine in the last ten months."

"Currently, the US produces just over 14,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition every month — and Ukrainian forces have previously fired that many rounds in the span of 48 hours, The Washington Post reported last month. US officials in January proposed a production increase up to 90,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition each month to keep up with demand."

(It was the plan all along.)

"Ammunition availability might be the single most important factor that determines the course of the war in 2023," US defense experts Michael Kofman and Rob Lee wrote in December for the Foreign Policy Research Institute, adding that Ukraine will depend on international stockpiles and production for access to the ammunition it needs."

(They're gonna defeat the Russians while...

"Ukraine will depend on international stockpiles and production for access to the ammunition it needs"?

Come on now...

).

"The United States has rarely seen production shortages in ammunition and missiles to the degree the country currently faces. While there was a brief precision missile shortage in 2016 following fights in Libya and Iraq, The Times reported, the US has largely been engaged in short-term, high-intensity fights such as the Persian Gulf War, or prolonged, lower-intensity missions like the war in Afghanistan, which allowed for the stockpile to be rebuilt as needed."

(We never planned for this, somebody else did, but not US.)

"This could become a crisis. With the front line now mostly stationary, artillery has become the most important combat arm,"

(Baloney, it was a crisis a while back already.)

"Earlier this month, the Biden administration proposed a record-breaking $842 billion budget for the Department of Defense. In an effort to address the munitions shortage, the proposed budget includes $19.2 billion for modernizing facilities "that support readiness improvements," as well as increasing production of naval and anti-strike missiles, in an aim to support the country and its allies through this "decisive decade."

"While improvements to production facilities have been budgeted for going forward, the US is currently pushing suppliers to capacity to meet current wartime demands in Ukraine and keep pace with China's production."

(We dont have time for all of that (modernizing facilities) and our adversaries know it. Plus? We cant, "keep pace with China's production", as they have been increasing their infrastructure to modernize their armed services for a long time already. We're playing "catch up" with our pants our skivvies around our ankles.)

"Representatives for the Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment."

We are broke.

And we are out of Artillery and Missiles.

What exactly do you think our adversaries are gonna do?

And how long do you think before they do it?