Western ammunition supplies ‘are at the bottom of the barrel’ with the war in Ukraine showing no sign of ending, NATO warns
so is the SPR and the Economy
NATO’s top official said ammo reserves were at the ‘bottom of the barrel’
The UK’s minister for armed forces said the West needs to build its support capacity
It comes as cracks in the West’s support for Ukraine have begun to show
NATO has warned that western supplies of ammunition for Ukraine are rapidly depleting, as Russia’s invasion shows no sign of ending.
The warning comes as Ukraine’s allies urged the besieged country to continue the fight, despite waning support from major military partners.
NATO’s most senior military official Admiral Rob Bauer said on Tuesday at the Warsaw Security Forum: ‘The bottom of the barrel is now visible.’ ATTENTION CHINA ATTENTION CHINA THERE IS A GAP IN OUR ARMOUR NOW IS THE TIME
‘We give away weapons systems to Ukraine, which is great, and ammunition, but not from full warehouses. We started to give away from half-full or lower warehouses in Europe,’ Bauer said, adding that even these stores were getting low.
NATO officials weren’t the only ones who admitted that ammunition stockpiles were low.
The UK’s minister for the armed forces, James Heappey, said at the same panel that while stockpiles were currently low, the West has to increase its capacity for making more ammunition.
‘We have to keep Ukraine in the fight tonight and tomorrow and the day after and the day after,’ Heappey said.
‘[That means] continuing to give, day in day out, and rebuilding our own stockpiles. you cant give continuously and rebuild stockpiles
Britain has ‘run out of defence equipment to donate to Ukraine’ and ‘given away all we can afford’, military source warns
just other day said would be sending boots to ground
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12587769/Britain-run-defence-equipment-donate-Ukraine-given-away-afford-military-source-warns.html
Top US officials appear to recognise the damage that could be done by the US not providing enough aid to Ukraine, with Undersecretary of Defence Michael McCord writing in a letter to politicial leaders on Friday, shortly before Congress took the aid package out of the spending bill:
‘An inability to ensure timely procurement and deliveries could undermine essential Ukrainian operations to retake additional territory or defend against potential future Russian offensives.’
‘Without additional funding now, we would have to delay or curtail assistance to meet Ukraine’s urgent requirements, including for air defense and ammunition that are critical and urgent now as Russia prepares to conduct a winter offensive and continues its bombardment of Ukrainian cities,’ he added.
h/t Coastie Patriot