Among the reasons for the move is \u201cUkraine\u2019s high burn rate for artillery,\u201d according to Lloyd Austin<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spending on the production of artillery shells by the Pentagon has almost doubled in recent years and will be increased even further, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUkraine\u2019s high burn rate for artillery [amid the conflict with Russia] has hammered home the need to invest even more in munitions,\u201d Austin told the participants of the Reagan National Defense Forum at Simi Valley, California on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This comes as Kiev\u2019s counteroffensive has failed to deliver significant gains despite billions of dollars\u2019 worth of military support from the US and other Western backers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pentagon chief said, \u201cCompared to the defense budget from just five years ago, we\u2019re putting nearly 50% more money into munitions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd, during this administration, America\u2019s production of artillery shells won\u2019t just increase, it won’t just double, it will quadruple,\u201d he claimed, without revealing any exact figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Austin also said the US military has launched \u201cthe most ambitious modernization effort in nearly 40 years for our defense industrial base.\u201d It\u2019ll see some $50 billion allocated to the sector, supporting \u201ctens of thousands of good American jobs in more than 30 states.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Artillery shells will be produced in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas as part of the modernization, assuring \u201cgreater prosperity at home and greater security around the globe,\u201d he claimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During his trip to Kiev two weeks ago, Austin announced a new $100 million assistance package to Ukraine, including various caliber artillery shells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This came shortly after Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky claimed that deliveries of artillery rounds to Kiev\u2019s forces \u201chave decreased\u201d and \u201creally slowed down\u201d since another US ally, Israel, launched its military operation against Hamas on October 7 in response to an incursion by the latter. According to Zelensky, competition for munitions between countries has intensified, particularly for shells of NATO\u2019s standard 155mm caliber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The flow of US-made artillery ammunition to Ukraine has dwindled by \u201cmore than 30%,\u201d ABC reported mid-November, citing an unnamed Ukrainian official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In September, Ukrainian MP Alexandra Ustinova told CNN that the country was firing up to 6,000 rounds daily amid its counteroffensive, but the military wanted to shoot more than 10,000. Even this number was \u201ca fraction\u201d of the ammunition deployed by Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier this week, Zelensky announced on social media that Kiev\u2019s forces will switch to building fortifications, acknowledging that the counteroffensive, which began in early June, failed to deliver the desired results. According to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, Ukraine has lost over 125,000 troops and 16,000 pieces of heavy equipment in unsuccessful attempts to advance over the past six months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n