AC: US needs six years to replenish stocks of 155m shells handed over to Kiev
The USA has transferred to Ukraine one third of its stock of Javelin anti-tank systems and Stinger anti-aircraft systems, while it might take up to six years to replace the stock of 155mm artillery shells, the American Conservative has said.
Russia, according to the publication, is not the only one spending its ammunition on Ukraine.
“If all aid to Ukraine ended tomorrow, it would take the US about six years to produce enough 155mm shells to restore US stocks to prewar levels,” the article says.
With a planned production increase of up to 20,000 shells a month, the paper estimates it would take more than four years to recover.
“Therefore, the US wants to increase production by more than four times – from 20,000 to 90,000 per month by 2025… But even with the new production volumes it would take 11 months to bring the stockpile of 155mm shells to pre-war levels, assuming the US stops transferring them to Ukraine completely,” the publication said.
The “NATO” 155m shells are used in the US M777 howitzers received by Ukraine.
According to the publication, the USA has sent to Ukraine one third of its Javelin anti-tank missile systems, 8,500 of them, while their monthly production at the Raytheon and Lockheed Martin plants is 400 units.
Kiev also received a third of the US stock of Stinger man-portable air defence systems – 1,600 units.
“However, the production capacity for the Stinger missiles is even worse than for the Javelin and is only kept alive by small foreign orders,” the publication said.