Us Military Stockpile - 1 of 7 U.S. Airman Megan Konsmo, from Tacoma, Wash., stores supplies destined for Ukraine at the 436th Airlift Squadron's Superport, Friday, April 29, 2022, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. President Joe Biden has asked Congress for $33 billion to support Ukraine's fight against Russia, signaling America's growing and long-term commitment. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) 1 of 7 U.S. Air Force Airman Megan Consmo, of Tacoma, Wash., stores supplies destined for Ukraine at the 436th Airlift Squadron's Superport, Friday, April 29, 2022, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. President Joe Biden has asked Congress for $33 billion to support Ukraine's fight against Russia, a sign of increased US commitment. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The planes take off every day from Dover Air Force Base, Delaware - C-17s of Javelins, Stingers, howitzers and other weapons headed for Eastern Europe, where the Ukrainian military is in conflict with Russia.
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The game-changing impact of those weapons is what President Joe Biden hoped to highlight Tuesday when he toured the Lockheed Martin factory in Alabama where it builds the Javelin anti-tank missile, which has important work in Ukraine.
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But as the war drags on, Biden's visit will draw attention: Can the U.S. maintain its ability to send heavy weapons to Ukraine to protect medical security if a new conflict breaks out in North Korea, Iran or elsewhere?
According to research by Mark Kanchian, a senior adviser for strategic and international studies, the United States has given Ukraine about a third of its supplies, including some 7,000 Javelins launched during the Trump administration. Study of international security program. The Biden administration said it tried to send about 5,500 to Ukraine after the Russian invasion two months ago.
Analysts say the United States has sent about a quarter of its shoulder-fired Stinger missiles to Ukraine. Raytheon Technologies CEO Greg Hayes told investors on a quarterly call last week that his company, which makes weapons systems, won't be able to ramp up production until next year due to parts shortages.
"Could this be a problem? The short answer is 'probably, yes,'" said Kanchian, a retired Navy SEAL and former government expert on budget planning, military spending and procurement at the Pentagon.
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Stingers and Javelins are "seeing high production," he said, adding that both weapon systems have been limited in recent years.
As lawmakers from Washington to Warsaw raise defense spending in response to Russia's aggression, Russia's aggression presents a huge opportunity for U.S. and European defense companies to boost their profits. However, defense contractors face the same supply and labor shortage problems that other manufacturers face, as well as some that are unique to the industry.
US military spending around the world has been rising even before the February 24 Russian attack. Biden's 2023 budget calls for $773 billion for the Pentagon.
Globally, total military spending rose 0.7 percent to $2 trillion in 2021 for the first time, according to an April report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Russia ranks fifth due to increasing military spending before its invasion of Ukraine.
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The war means sales to some defense contractors will increase, including Raytheon, which makes the Stinger missile used by the Ukrainian military to shoot down Russian jets. The company is part of a joint venture with Lockheed Martin, which makes the Javelin.
Biden will visit the Lockheed Martin facility in Troy, Ala., which has the capacity to produce about 2,100 Javelins a year. The move comes amid pressure on Congress to quickly approve an additional $33 billion in defense and economic aid to Kiev, Western allies and the return of US weapons shipped to those countries.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Monday that he hopes to reach an agreement on the defense package quickly enough for the Senate to begin considering it "early next week."
In his speech, the president emphasized the importance of the Javelin and other American weapons that will help the Ukrainian army to fight harder, and is expected to work on improving the issue of security and economic aid.
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A White House official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and asked not to be named, said the Pentagon is working with defense officials to "assess the health and limitations of the weapons production process" and work on each part of the process. Production.” The administration is considering several options to increase Javelin and Stinger production, if necessary, the official said.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Monday that the readiness of the US military does not depend on single systems like the Javelin. The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the chairman of the department said that the more the Pentagon prepares weapons to send to Ukraine, the more influence it will have.
"It's not about being able to count on javelins and when you get to a certain level, all your readiness is gone," Kirby said. "Javelin is an anti-armor capability, so we're judging our ability to achieve that objective as a sum, noting that javelin isn't your only weapon capability."
Kanchian, a former government expert on defense budget planning, said the absence of Stingers and Javelins from the latest weapons announced by the Biden administration to be sent to Ukraine could be a sign Pentagon officials are thinking about when the items are made. Contingency planning for other conflicts.
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"There's no question that any military plan that they're looking at has concerns about stopping Stangers and Javelins, and I'm sure they'll have that conversation with the Pentagon," he said.
The US military's efforts to move weapons to Eastern Europe for the Ukraine conflict are Herculean. From Dover Airport in Delaware, the U.S. Air Force flew nearly 70 missions to deliver nearly 7 million pounds of Javelins, Stingers, 155mm howitzers, helmets and other critical equipment to Eastern Europe. Col. Matt Huseman, commander of the 436th Airlift Wing, described the operation as a "promising government-wide initiative."
The heavy and deadly force allowed the Ukrainians to inflict heavy losses on the larger and better Russian army. As a result, the instrument has achieved an almost legendary status, celebrated as a meme in Ukraine with the song Javelin and the image of Mary Magdalene carrying a javelin.
Lockheed Martin CEO James Tacklet said in a recent CNBC interview that the demand for Javelin and other missile systems is increasing due to the Russian invasion. The company is working to "improve our supply chain," he said.
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"We have the capacity to meet current production demand, investing in capacity expansion and finding ways to increase production as needed," Lockheed Martin said in a statement.
Pentagon officials recently met with some defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing, General Dynamics, BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman, to discuss efforts to boost production.
For example, Raytheon America can't get rid of the Stinger to replace the 1,400 it sent to Ukraine. Raytheon CEO Hayes said in a recent conference call with analysts that the company has only a limited supply of equipment to manufacture the device. Only one unknown country has been buying them in recent years, and the Pentagon hasn't bought new ones in nearly 20 years.
Constraints complicate the picture. Companies will find new ways to use essential materials such as titanium, an important component in the production of air produced in Russia.
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Concerns about the Stinger stock were raised by the chairman of the House Firearms Committee. Adam Smith, D-Wash., and the committee's top Republican, Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama. The two described the stockpile issue as "urgent" in a March letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Miley.
"I've been asking the DoD for two months for a plan to replenish our Stinger inventory and our Javelin launchers," Rogers said.
Reeves reports from Birmingham, Ala., and Huff from Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor and Alan Frame in Washington contributed to this story. , 25th Infantry Division, conducts a live-action exercise with an M777 towed 155mm howitzer at Al Asad Airfield, Iraq, March 2, 2020.
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