President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, speaks to the media during a joint press conference with the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on March 8, 2024, in Istanbul, Turkey. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images/TNS)
WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) — The Pentagon has invested $5.3 billion of congressionally appropriated money since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine to boost U.S.-produced munitions for the besieged nation and replenish stockpiles, mostly for the Army, according to new figures released Friday.
American industry was making only 14,000 155mm shells a month when the invasion began, but has just hit the 40,000 mark, the Defense Department said in a statement Friday summarizing its efforts, which also coincides with the latest Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting this week. That represents a 178% increase — on a path to producing 100,000 a month by the end of 2025, it said.
The U.S. and its European allies have been racing to escalate production of armaments like ammunition and missiles after years of letting production languish as they weren’t a priority in Middle East operations.
Ukraine, like Russia, has burned through artillery ammunition, forcing allies to heighten manufacturing both to supply Ukraine and restore their own stocks for potential future conflicts.
The defense industry has responded in a variety of ways. For instance, Lockheed Martin Corp’s production of GMLRS rockets used by Ukraine to pummel Russian targets has increased 40% from 833 per month to 1,167. Monthly production of HIMARs missile launch vehicles has increased 60% from five to eight.
Lockheed Martin has also achieved a 100% increase in monthly production of its advanced Patriot PAC-3 “MSE” air defense weapon from 21 per month to 42 per month.
Lockheed’s joint venture with RTX Corp. has increased production of the Javelin anti-armor weapon 14% to 200 units per month from 175, the Pentagon said in the statement.
Other companies have forged partnerships with Ukraine. Northrop Grumman now has a contract with Ukraine’s government to set up a “medium-caliber ammunition production line.”
All told, the Defense Department said, the U.S has provided more than $55.5 billion since the invasion started..
The Pentagon released the data as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made his first in-person appearance at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
The Ukrainian leader repeated his message that deliveries need to reach the front line urgently as Moscow’s troops make grinding advances in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, where Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin is keeping his most combat-ready units.
Natalia Drozdiak contributed to this report.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Visit bloomberg.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
