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

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From Rockets to Ball Bearings, Pentagon Struggles to Feed War Machine

Industry consolidation, depleted manufacturing lines and supply chain issues have combined to constrain the production of basic ammunition like artillery shells while also prompting concern about building adequate reserves of more sophisticated weapons including missiles, air defense systems and counter-artillery radar.

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In the first 10 months after Russia invaded Ukraine, prompting Washington to approve $33 billion in military aid so far, the United States sent Ukraine so many Stinger missiles from its own stocks that it would take 13 years’ worth of production at recent capacity levels to replace them. It has sent so many Javelin missiles that it would take five years at last year’s rates to replace them, according to Raytheon, the company that helps make the missile systems.

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But even these engagements, far different in scale from potential confrontations with other major powers, exposed the emerging risks: By 2016, the United States ran short of precision missiles after a series of fights in Afghanistan then Iraq, Libya and finally Syria.

Inside the monumental, stop-start effort to arm Ukraine

US weapons stockpile 13 years behind in Stinger missile production amid Ukraine war

The US has never seen production shortages on ammunition and missiles like the one it is currently experiencing. Rising tensions between superpowers and global supply chain shortages have exacerbated this concern.