US disarms itself to aid UkraineWashington Examiner, Jan 25, 2023, Byron York
U.S. DISARMS ITSELF TO AID UKRAINE. The United States has shipped massive amounts of military aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. There has been bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for the aid, although some Republicans have questioned the price tag — $27.5 billion so far in military aid, or "security assistance" alone, which does not include tens of billions in financial, humanitarian, and other types of aid. Some GOP lawmakers have also expressed concern about the lack of safeguards in sending so much money to a notoriously corrupt country.
But there is another growing worry about the amount of U.S. military aid to Ukraine. The Biden administration is sending so many weapons to Ukraine that the U.S., already underprepared for a major war, is running low on munitions for its own defense. In effect, the U.S. is disarming itself to aid Ukraine. That would be troubling in any event but is especially so amid growing tensions with China over Taiwan.
The scope of the problem is detailed in a new report, "Empty Bins In A Wartime Environment," from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Author Seth Jones writes that "the U.S. defense industrial base is not adequately prepared for the competitive security environment that now exists." Citing analysis of stockpiles and usage rates, plus several CSIS war games, Jones writes that supplies are so low that "the United States would likely run out of some munitions — such as long-range, precision-guided munitions — in less than one week in a Taiwan Strait conflict."
Jones writes that the U.S. has been underprepared for years. But the war in Ukraine is making the situation worse. The American effort in Ukraine has "depleted U.S. stocks of some types of weapons systems and munitions, such as Stinger surface-to-air missiles, 155 mm howitzers and ammunition, and Javelin anti-tank missile systems," Jones writes. "For example, the quantities of Javelins transferred to Ukraine through late August 2022 represented seven years of production [at 2022 rates]. ... The number of Stingers transferred to Ukraine is roughly equal to the total number built for all non-U.S. customers in the last 20 years. ... As of January 2023, the U.S. military has provided Ukraine with up to 1,074,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition, significantly shrinking the availability of 155 mm rounds in storage. Because of the limited availability of 155 mm howitzers and ammunition, the U.S. military began sending 105 mm howitzers and ammunition instead."
"Since many of the weapons systems and munitions have come directly from U.S. inventories," Jones concludes, "U.S. assistance has depleted some stockpiles that could be used for training, future contingencies, or other operational needs."
More:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/us-disarms-itself-to-aid-ukraine
