The Briefing Room

General Category => Military/Defense News => Topic started by: Timber Rattler on May 31, 2023, 07:43:10 pm

Title: Equipment for Ukraine drawn from Kuwait wasn’t combat-ready, IG says
Post by: Timber Rattler on May 31, 2023, 07:43:10 pm
https://www.defensenews.com/land/2023/05/31/equipment-for-ukraine-drawn-from-kuwait-wasnt-combat-ready-ig-says/

Quote
Equipment drawn from the U.S. Army’s Kuwait-based pre-positioned stock bound for Ukraine was not ready for combat operations, the Pentagon’s inspector general has found.

During the inspector general’s audit of that pre-positioned stock area, the fifth of seven such locations around the world, “we identified issues that resulted in unanticipated maintenance, repairs, and extended leadtimes to ensure the readiness of the military equipment selected to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the May 23 report stated.

All six of the M777 howitzers and 25 of 29 M1167 High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles were not “mission ready” and required repairs before U.S. European Command could send the equipment to Ukraine.

(snip)

Because the battalion did not ensure the contractor was meeting its maintenance requirements for approximately 19 months on M777 howitzers, an Army Materiel Command senior representative from Kuwait issued a request for assistance, bringing in a U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command mobile repair team from Anniston Army Depot, Alabama.

When the team arrived at Camp Arifjan in March 2022, the contractor provided a howitzer that it said was fully mission capable. But the weapon system was not maintained according to the standard technical manual, per the mobile repair team, and “ ‘would have killed somebody [the operator],’ in its current condition,” the report stated.

EXCERPT

This suggests a much deeper problem with U.S. military logistics and maintenance.
Title: Re: Equipment for Ukraine drawn from Kuwait wasn’t combat-ready, IG says
Post by: Kamaji on May 31, 2023, 08:45:39 pm
https://www.defensenews.com/land/2023/05/31/equipment-for-ukraine-drawn-from-kuwait-wasnt-combat-ready-ig-says/

EXCERPT

This suggests a much deeper problem with U.S. military logistics and maintenance.


It does, and hopefully now that it's come to light, it will be taken care of before we have to rely on that pre-positioned materiel.
Title: Re: Equipment for Ukraine drawn from Kuwait wasn’t combat-ready, IG says
Post by: Smokin Joe on May 31, 2023, 11:32:45 pm
https://www.defensenews.com/land/2023/05/31/equipment-for-ukraine-drawn-from-kuwait-wasnt-combat-ready-ig-says/

EXCERPT

This suggests a much deeper problem with U.S. military logistics and maintenance.
Sounds like the contractors aren't living up to their end of the deal. Even worse, our troops might have had to rely on this equipment.
Peel the lid back, check all such operations, and make sure the job is being done.
Title: Re: Equipment for Ukraine drawn from Kuwait wasn’t combat-ready, IG says
Post by: Hoodat on June 01, 2023, 12:16:32 am
Equipment drawn from the U.S. Army’s Kuwait-based pre-positioned stock bound for Ukraine was not ready for combat operations, the Pentagon’s inspector general has found.

During the inspector general’s audit of that pre-positioned stock area, the fifth of seven such locations around the world, “we identified issues that resulted in unanticipated maintenance, repairs, and extended leadtimes to ensure the readiness of the military equipment selected to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the May 23 report stated.

All six of the M777 howitzers and 25 of 29 M1167 High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles were not “mission ready” and required repairs before U.S. European Command could send the equipment to Ukraine.


Yet the Defense Dept still charged them full price as for brand new equipment against their drawdowns and pocketed the difference.
Title: Re: Equipment for Ukraine drawn from Kuwait wasn’t combat-ready, IG says
Post by: Timber Rattler on June 01, 2023, 11:06:24 am
Sounds like the contractors aren't living up to their end of the deal. Even worse, our troops might have had to rely on this equipment.
Peel the lid back, check all such operations, and make sure the job is being done.

Local Kuwaiti contractors no doubt.  Corrupt to the core.