The report of the bipartisan commission of the US Congress notes that in the event of a war with China, the available amount of ammunition may be enough for 3-4 weeks of hostilities.
Points of attention
- The US faces a critical shortage of ammunition for potential conflicts with China and Russia, posing significant risks in protracted hostilities.
- The defense production in the United States is deemed unsatisfactory, unable to meet urgent needs in both peacetime and war scenarios.
- Proposed changes in defense planning and enhanced cooperation between private and public defense sectors are crucial to ensure adequacy in munitions supply.
- The US public is largely uninformed about the threats to the country, requiring a shift in how the Department of Defense operates to address new threats and technologies.
- Immediate action and engagement with the private sector are essential to implement fundamental changes in the Department of Defense to enhance preparedness for potential conflicts.
What is known about the unpreparedness of the United States for a protracted war
The report notes that the US remains unprepared for a protracted war against China or Russia.
In particular, the commission's conclusions emphasize the acute shortage of ammunition.
Members of the commission, which included a retired Army general, a former Democratic congressman and a former US ambassador, cited a 2022 report by two analysts at the Center for America's National Security, which said the US does not have enough weapons to repel a possible invasion of countries like China or Russia.
It is emphasized that the deficit persists even after the US increases the production of weapons for shipment to Ukraine.
As a result, unclassified public war games show that in a conflict with China, the United States will largely exhaust its ammunition reserves in just three to four weeks, the authors of the report conclude.
The commission warned that a number of important munitions, in particular, anti-ship missiles, may last literally for several days.
At the same time, the report adds that ammunition stocks of allies are also a cause for concern.
As an example, they referred to the 2022 report of the Royal Institute of Defense Studies on the war in Ukraine.
At the height of hostilities in Donbas, Russia used more ammunition in two days than is in the warehouses of the entire British army, the authors of this report conclude.
What is known about the problems of defense production in the USA
According to the commission's conclusions, arms production in the US is generally in an unsatisfactory state.
It is noted that defense production will not be able to meet urgent needs even in peacetime.
US industrial production is grossly inadequate to provide the equipment, technology and ammunition needed today, not to mention the demands of a major power conflict, the authors of the report emphasize.
They point out that the US has problems with recruiting, outdated research and development processes and a slow, bureaucratic Defense Department.
Fundamental shifts in threats and technologies require fundamental changes in how the Ministry of Defense functions, the authors of the report conclude.
Representatives of the commission also propose making a number of changes in defense planning by the US Army.
It is noted that there is a need for cooperation between the private and state defense sectors.
The review also highlighted that the US public is "largely uninformed" about threats to their country and its allies, and that most Americans do not understand how a major war could affect every aspect of their lives, from water and electricity to the Internet. - services
