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The Pentagon stockpiles of weapons and other military equipment are shrinking, that is the reason why US military aid packages for Ukraine have been smaller in recent months.
This was reported by the CNN with reference to two US officials, Ukrinform saw.
“US military aid packages for Ukraine have been smaller in recent months, as the stockpiles of weapons and equipment that the Pentagon is willing to send Kyiv from its own inventory have dwindled,” the report says.
In April, the Pentagon announced a $1 billion package, but since then none of the packages have exceeded $400 million, with some even in the $125 million to $250 million range.
The changes reportedly come amid concerns about US military readiness being impacted as “US arms manufacturers play catchup to the huge demand created by the war against Russia.”
The shortage means the Biden administration still has $6 billion in funds available to arm and equip Ukraine, but the Pentagon lacks the inventory it is willing to deliver more than two years into the war, two US officials told CNN.
“It’s about the stockpiles we have on our shelves, what [the Ukrainians] are asking for, and whether we can meet those requests with what we currently have” without impacting readiness, one of the officials said.
The Pentagon has asked Congress for more time to spend that money before it expires at the end of September, according to Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary.
“Replenishment is also an issue,” the official said. The US is ramping up production of key items, such as 155 mm ammunition and Patriot missile systems, both to supply Ukraine and to refill US inventories. But it is a yearslong process that won’t quickly meet the surging demand.
Before the war in Ukraine, the US produced approximately 15,000 155 mm artillery shells each month. With new factories and production lines opening, the US is now producing 40,000 shells a month. But it will still take more than a year for the Pentagon to hit its goal of 100,000 shells each month. The process of ramping up production is on schedule, but the process will take years, requiring new facilities, expanded factories and Congress willing to allocate the money.
As reported by Ukrinform, the US Department of Defense is cooperating with Congress in order not to lose $6 billion in US funding for aid to Ukraine which will expire at the end of the fiscal year.
In the US, the fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year.
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