The Department of Defense is conducting a review of its stockpile of artillery shells, missiles and other munitions amid the large volumes of U.S.-built weapons supplied to Ukraine to support the Eastern European country’s counteroffensive against Russia, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Defense officials and company executives said the huge quantities of munitions fired by Ukrainian forces against Russia, along with supply chain issues and workforce shortages, have resulted in the depletion of U.S. stocks of some ammunition and highlighted underinvestment in munitions production and procurement.
William “Bill” LaPlante, undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment at DOD and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner, said the war in Ukraine offers an opportunity for the Pentagon to address such challenges.
“You have to have almost a political environment like we have now, where people see the urgency for it,” said LaPlante. “Because in times of peace and times of prosperity, it’s one of the first things that falls off the budget.”
According to the report, Russia has consumed so much of its weapons systems in its war with Ukraine and DOD intends to determine whether it could hold less ammunition in its arsenal given Kremlin’s current status.
