The Pentagon has nearly doubled its spending on artillery shell production in recent years, with plans for further increases, according to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who made the announcment at the Reagan National Defense Forum.

The surge in investment is driven by the ongoing war in Ukraine, as Kiev runs through Western ammunition supplies. The Secretary of Defense pointed to the critical need for increased munitions support to Ukraine during his address.

Austin highlighted the urgency, saying, "Ukraine’s high burn rate for artillery [amid the conflict with Russia] has hammered home the need to invest even more in munitions."

He said that compared to the defense budget five years ago, the US is allocating nearly 50% more funds to munitions. Furthermore, he declared an ambitious plan to supposedly quadruple America's production of artillery shells during the current administration.

The US Secretary of Defense also discussed an effort for the US defense industrial base, with a $50 billion allocation that will secure tens of thousands of jobs across more than 30 states to enhance the US weapons production output, which has struggled to keep up with Ukrainian demand.

The production of artillery shells will be a key component of this effort, with facilities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas. In fact, Ukraine has heavily depended on 155 mm artillery shells, which the US produces. However, despite billions of dollars in military support from the US and Western allies, Kiev's counteroffensive has failed to achieve any substantial advances. 

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Ukraine, 'Israel' strain US military-industrial complex

This announcement follows Austin's recent trip to Kiev, where he pledged a new $100 million assistance package to Ukraine, including artillery shells of various calibers. However, concerns have been raised about a reported decrease in the flow of US-made artillery ammunition to Ukraine, with competition for munitions intensifying, particularly for NATO's standard 155 mm caliber shells.

The Israeli war on the Gaza Strip has reportedly eaten into the Ukrainian share of 155 mm, as the Israeli occupation forces relentlessly bomb residential areas all over the Gaza Strip, a tactic that has been deployed for more around 60 days. According to Russia Today, the flow of US-made artillery ammunition to Ukraine has decreased by more than 30%.

The strain on the US military-industrial complex has become increasingly evident, exacerbated by the Biden administration's involvement in expanding the conflict in Ukraine and continued support for Israeli war crimes in occupied Palestine. The Biden administration has also actively sought to limit the scope of confrontations in the Middle East, as an expansion of the conflict in the region would further compromise its ability to maintain its interests worldwide.

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