By the numbers: US missile capacity depleting fast

By Free Republic | Created at 2024-11-15 02:30:54 | Updated at 2024-11-15 05:41:00 3 hours ago

By the numbers: US missile capacity depleting fast
Responsible Statecraft ^ | 11/11/24 | Mike Fredenburg

Posted on 11/14/2024 6:04:03 PM PST by EnderWiggin1970

Regardless of the merits or demerits of the Biden administration’s policies on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the wider Middle East, it has become clear that the United States has been using and giving away its missiles faster than it can produce them.

It is also clear that from the perspective of missile inventories and production, the United States is far from prepared to engage confidently in a sustained direct conflict with a peer competitor like China.

This is demonstrated by the fact that U.S. missile and artillery shell reserves are currently inadequate to provide Ukraine with what it needs to keep its missile defense systems supplied with interceptors. Indeed, the inability of the United States and its NATO allies to provide enough air defense missiles — a.k.a. interceptors — has made it easier for Russia to attack and destroy key military targets, as well as cripple Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

This missile deficit parallels the well-documented lack of U.S. artillery shell production that has enabled Russia to increase the rate at which it’s taking control over territories in Ukraine today.

(Excerpt) Read more at responsiblestatecraft.org ...

TOPICS: China; Russia; Taiwan; Ukraine
KEYWORDS: arsenal; military; missile

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At least Trump will stem the bleeding, but he or his surrogates also need to root out the corruption and inefficiency of a MIC that produces astonishingly little for astonishing amounts of money.

To: EnderWiggin1970

2 posted on 11/14/2024 6:06:21 PM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within ? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉! 🇮🇱👍!)

To: All

Biden has to give them all away before Trump takes over.

3 posted on 11/14/2024 6:06:44 PM PST by BipolarBob (Enough of this talk about narcissists, let's get back to talking about me.)

To: EnderWiggin1970

Double edge sword. Replacing obsolete systems, good. Spending extra cash now, bad.

I dunno what's right and good. Glad we have the best folks in place to make these choices. Republic.

4 posted on 11/14/2024 6:14:06 PM PST by Damifino (The true measure of a man is found in what he would do if he knew no one would ever find out.)

To: EnderWiggin1970

To be fair, there is still a chip shortage. Raytheon has said repeatedly that they are being limited by the supply of secure chips.

Our US chip industry was basically destroyed some years ago and now it is biting us in the arse.

5 posted on 11/14/2024 6:20:50 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)

To: rktman

Lack of chips, actually. We do not have the ability to produce the required chips in the US at the required volume at the current time, and prior efforts to source chips from China resulted in predictable results.

6 posted on 11/14/2024 6:24:58 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)

To: Damifino

It isn’t just obsolete systems were sending over, though.

7 posted on 11/14/2024 6:25:31 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)

To: EnderWiggin1970

8 posted on 11/14/2024 6:28:13 PM PST by sauropod ("This is a time when people reveal themselves for who they are." James O'Keefe Ne supra crepidam)

To: Spktyr

“It isn’t just obsolete systems were sending over, though.”

The Zeepers claim it’s obsolete weapons, but I expect THE TRUTH to get out once Trump takes over, and it will be VERY UGLY.

9 posted on 11/14/2024 6:30:48 PM PST by BobL

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