In light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the U.S. military is significantly increasing its ammunition production. The Pentagon is pouring $6 billion into the modernization and expansion of munitions facilities, with defense contractor General Dynamics GD at the forefront of this initiative.
What Happened: The Ukraine conflict has put a strain on the ammunition supplies of the U.S. and its allies. The Pentagon is now investing heavily in updating World War II-era plants and boosting production at new facilities.
Defense contractor General Dynamics is employing sophisticated machinery to speed up and improve ammunition production, supported by a part of a $1 billion contract, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The company is primarily focusing on the production of 155mm shells, which are frequently used in U.S.-made M777 howitzers by Ukraine.
The Pentagon’s goal is to increase the monthly output of 155mm shells from 30,000 to 100,000 by the end of 2025. A plant based in Texas is expected to play a major role in achieving this target, with the first of three production lines scheduled to commence this fall.
This initiative is a part of a wider US effort to domestically produce materials critical to national security. Other companies, such as Lockheed Martin and a subsidiary of L3Harris Technologies, are also expanding their production capabilities.
However, the swift expansion of domestic manufacturing will still heavily depend on foreign countries for machine tools and other essential equipment. Industry executives have pointed out that recreating defense supply chains domestically could take decades.
Why It Matters: The U.S. has been actively supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. In April, the Congress passed a $95 billion foreign aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan to counter Russia’s aggression.
This was followed by the U.S. sending seized Iranian arms to Ukraine as a new aid package faced delays in Congress. The increased ammunition production is the latest move in the U.S.’s ongoing efforts to support Ukraine and maintain national security.
However, this has not been without backlash, with North Korea criticizing the U.S. for its increasing military aid to Ukraine.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
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