Why US Artillery Shell Production Isn’t Enough & Why Other Munitions Will Fall Far Shorter Still

Update on the conflict in Ukraine for February 11, 2024…

– US artillery shell production is increasing solely because the US Army owns and controls the means of production;

– Despite the surge capacity already on hand when the decision was made to expand production, the US Army is required to build entirely new facilities to meet the production target of 80,000-100,000 155 mm shells a month;

– Even if the US meets its target by 2025, it is depending on Europe to reach the 200,000 shells a month (2.4 million/year) Ukraine is said to need on the battlefield;

– Russia currently produces 2 million rounds a year and is still expanding production;

– Russian state-owned arms industry allows it to maintain large amounts of surge capacity across all munitions, vehicles, and weapons production;

– If the US finds itself in a multi-year struggle to catch up to a nation with a smaller economy and population, it suggests attempts to match or exceed the production capacity of China with a much larger population, industrial base, and soon-to-be larger economy are unlikely to succeed;

– What the US must do to out-produce its adversaries in war, pivot from a profit to purpose-driven economy, would negate the primary motivations for the US to wage war in the first place;

References:

SITREP

Forbes – The Clock Is Ticking As Ukraine Destroys More Russian Vehicles, Faster. The Kremlin Could Run Out Of Fighting Vehicles In Six Months. (February 4, 2024):
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe…

Forbes – Russia Has Massed 500 Tanks For An Attack On Kupyansk. Thousands Of Ukrainian Drones Await Them. (February 3, 2024):
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe…

Andrew Perpetua – An Offensive?: Latest Developments and Analysis (March 2023):
   • An Offensive?: Latest Developments an…  

MUNITIONS PRODUCTION

CSIS – Munitions Production Roundtable Featuring ASA(ALT) The Honorable Douglas R. Bush (February 6, 2024):
https://www.youtube.com/live/XpClCMZf…

CSIS – Donors:
https://www.csis.org/about/financial-…

Corporations:
https://www.csis.org/about/financial-…

Government:
https://www.csis.org/about/financial-…

Forbes – The Countries With The Most STEM Graduates [Infographic] (2017):
https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmcc…