The Pentagon has accelerated the purchase of weapons amid the depletion of its stocks
[ad_1]
The Pentagon is accelerating the process of buying weapons to replenish its arsenals, depleted by supplies to Ukraine, reported Reuters, citing Assistant Secretary of Defense for Procurement and Logistics Doug Bush.
Fast-paced contracting depends on “simultaneous execution of processes that used to run sequentially” and is based on lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic, he said. The pace of arsenal cuts exceeds the Pentagon’s internal spending rate benchmarks by 15%, the official added.
It is noted that earlier Washington began to use special presidential powers to purchase weapons without the approval of Congress, which has already made it possible to conclude contracts for $ 2.6 billion to replace weapons supplied to Kyiv. In the past month alone, the Pentagon has awarded $1 billion in arms contracts, mostly for missiles and ammunition.
Earlier about the reduction in the US stocks of certain weapons systems and ammunition due to supplies to Ukraine informed CNN. Stocks of 55-mm artillery ammunition and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles are declining more than others.
In early November, US Defense Department spokeswoman Sabrina Singh announced the allocation of another $400 million military aid package to Ukraine, which would include 45 Czech T-72 tanks.
On October 28, Singh announced that the United States would allocate a new $275 million military aid package to Ukraine. According to her, the new military aid package will include, in particular, additional ammunition for HIMARS systems, 500 155 mm guided artillery shells, 2,000 155 mm caliber shells for a remote anti-tank mining system, as well as 125 Humvee armored vehicles.
The Russian authorities have repeatedly criticized Western military assistance to Ukraine. In this regard, back in April, Moscow sent a note of protest to all countries, including the United States. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the United States is trying to drag out the conflict by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Also, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov pointed to Washington’s economic interest in supplies. According to him, in this way the United States seeks to “skim the cream” against the backdrop of the current situation.
Subscribe on “Vedomosti” in Telegram and stay up to date with the main news of the economy and business
[ad_2]
Source link
