By Tony Capaccio
The Pentagon has invested $5.3 billion of congressionally appropriated money since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine to boost US-produced munitions for the besieged nation and replenish stockpiles, mostly for the Army, according to new figures released Friday.
American industry was making only 14,000 155mm shells a month when the invasion began, but has just hit the 40,000 mark, the Defense Department said in a statement Friday summarizing its efforts, which also coincides with the latest Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting this week.
That represents a 178 per cent increase — on a path to producing 1,00,000 a month by the end of 2025, it said.
The US and its European allies have been racing to escalate production of armaments like ammunition and missiles after years of letting production languish as they weren’t a priority in Middle East operations.
Ukraine, like Russia, has burned through artillery ammunition, forcing allies to heighten manufacturing both to supply Ukraine and restore their own stocks for potential future conflicts.
The defense industry has responded in a variety of ways. For instance, Lockheed Martin Corp’s production of GMLRS rockets used by Ukraine to pummel Russian targets has increased 40 per cent from 833 per month to 1,167. Monthly production of HIMARs missile launch vehicles has increased 60 per cent from five to eight.
Lockheed Martin has also achieved a 100% increase in monthly production of its advanced Patriot PAC-3 “MSE” air defense weapon from 21 per month to 42 per month.
Lockheed’s joint venture with RTX Corp. has increased production of the Javelin anti-armor weapon 14 per cent to 200 units per month from 175, the Pentagon said in the statement.
Other companies have forged partnerships with Ukraine. Northrop Grumman now has a contract with Ukraine’s government to set up a “medium-caliber ammunition production line.”
All told, the Defense Department said, the US has provided more than $55.5 billion since the invasion started.
The Pentagon released the data as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made his first in-person appearance at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
The Ukrainian leader repeated his message that deliveries need to reach the front line urgently as Moscow’s troops make grinding advances in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, where Zelenskiy said Russian President Vladimir Putin is keeping his most combat-ready units.