More than $5 billion in US arms exports intended to support NATO allies and Ukraine have been delayed as the government shutdown stretches into its 40th day, according to a State Department estimate shared with Axios.

The delays affect a range of weapons and defense systems, including AMRAAM missiles, Aegis combat systems, and HIMARS launchers, with destinations including Denmark, Croatia, and Poland, according to a senior State Department official.

Although the end-users are not always disclosed, arms sales to NATO allies are often intended to indirectly support the war in Ukraine.

According to Axios, the transactions involve both direct government-to-government sales and licenses for US private arms companies to export weapons. These processes, typically routine, have been disrupted by staff shortages.

State Department furloughs disrupt arms transfer process

The Arms Export Control Act requires Congress to review proposed arms deals. However, many State Department staffers responsible for briefing congressional committees have been furloughed, slowing down the approval process.

The State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which oversees arms transfers, was operating at just 25% of its usual staffing capacity last month, a senior official told Axios. "This is actually really harming both our allies and partners and US industry to actually deliver a lot of these critical capabilities overseas," the official said.

Republican lawmakers criticized the situation, blaming Democrats for stalling critical military aid.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, "Democrats are holding up critical weapons sales, including to our NATO allies, which harms the US industrial base and puts our and our partners' security at risk."

Senate Foreign Relations Chair James Risch (R-Idaho) echoed the concern, stating, "China and Russia aren't shut down. Their efforts to undermine the US and our partners and allies get easier, while our industrial base suffers and our allies' needs go unmet."

US government shutdown

The US government shutdown became the longest in the country’s history on November 5, surpassing the 36-day mark with no resolution in sight. The standoff between Republican and Democratic senators continues to paralyze efforts to restore funding to federal departments.

The previous record, 35 days, was set during Donald Trump’s first term, when funding was delayed due to the Republican demand for border wall financing along the US-Mexico border.

This shutdown began on the first of October, after Democratic senators refused to support a government funding bill unless it included an extension of tax credits from the Joe Biden administration. These credits lower the cost of health insurance plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges.