Russia-Ukraine War: Not Only In Russia, There Is A Shortage Of Weapons In America Too

Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine for eight months, not only Russia, but also America’s arms are getting empty. Because of this, the US is finding it difficult to keep its promise of providing arms assistance to Ukraine. This could have an impact on Ukraine’s combat capability. This has also been approved by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin himself.

“We have put pressure on our industries to increase production of weapons, so as to protect Ukraine as well as we can,” Austin told reporters in Brussels on October 12, after talking to executives from about 50 arms manufacturing companies around the world. Since Austin’s statement, there has been a discussion in the media about the weapons stockpile of Western countries. According to commentators, Austin’s statement is a sign that if arms manufacturers do not increase their production rapidly, then Western countries may have a shortage of weapons.

On February 24 this year, Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine. Since then, the US has pledged $17.6 billion in security equipment to Ukraine. Some of these equipment will be supplied over the next several years. Analysts said this is a sign that while the US remains committed to Ukraine’s security for a long time, it also indicates the limited ability of the US to supply weapons.

Mark Cansian, senior adviser to the American think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, has said – ‘The number of some US weapons used in training has reached a minimum level. This raises concerns about the question here, what if another war erupts. It has so far been able to supply the piercing Javelin missiles.

Cancian told the website NikkeaAsia.com that the US has given Ukraine only half of the howitzer artillery systems it has promised. This is probably because, if more than this is supplied, it will affect America’s own combat capability. A senior US official told the same website that the shortage of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is also now being felt in the US. The US has promised 40 HIMARs to Ukraine, but so far only about 20 systems have been given to it. The rest of the supply could take years.

According to experts, there has been a shortage of weapons in America because after the Cold War, it had reduced the budget for arms production. In the 1960s, America spent 9 percent of its GDP on the military. In 1990, this amount was reduced to 5 per cent and in 2020 to three per cent.