US army chief: Military needs to replenish, upgrade stocks of weapons
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US media reported late last month that the Pentagon is concerned that US weapons shipments to Ukraine are depleting the nation’s own stockpiles.
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US army chief: US Military needs to renew, upgrade stocks of weapons
A US Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said on Wednesday that the US needs to replenish and upgrade its stocks of military equipment.
"We need to replenish our stocks and we need to replenish our weapons systems," McConville said during an interview at the Defense News Conference. "When we do replace them, we want to replace them with new equipment."
US military acquisition executives are working closely with the defense industrial base to project the sorts of items the Pentagon may need, McConville added.
US media reported late last month that the Pentagon is concerned that US weapons shipments to Ukraine are depleting the nation’s own stockpiles, particularly ammunition supplies.
Last week, it was reported that the US Army has grounded its entire fleet of Chinook helicopters due to engine fire concerns. The grounding coincides with the suspension of a number of military drills due to the depleted US weaponry arsenal.
The war in Ukraine has reduced US military inventories of certain types of ammunition, as the US continues to supply Kiev with billions of dollars worth of weaponry, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). On its part, the US Department of Defense has been hesitant to replenish its arsenal, raising fears among US officials that the shortfall might undermine military readiness.
A senior US military official later denied the reports and claimed the US is able to maintain readiness while providing Ukraine with arms.
Earlier today, US Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force, Clinton Hinote, said that the US's endless support helped Ukraine against what he referred to as "Russian aerial supremacy" in Ukraine.
The US government is currently preparing a new package of weapons supplies for Ukraine worth $1 billion which will include munitions for long-range weapons and armored medical transport vehicles, according to Reuters.
Regarding the Western armament of Kiev, the head of the Delegation of the Russian Federation to the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control, Konstantin Gavrilov, disclosed earlier that the excessive supply of arms to Ukraine will push Russia to take tough measures to counteract the range of missiles used by Kiev.
Read more: China urges US to annul its $1.1 bln arms deal with Taiwan
