"Depends the result of the war": NYT told how the West resolves the issue with a shortage of ammunition for the Armed Forces

Investments in plants to expand ammunition require billions and years of work, so the EU will take place on March 8 to comprehensively solve the problem. The Ukrainian military on the day requires more ammunition than manufacturers are able to produce, so in the West are looking for options for how to expand production. About it reports The New York Times. Weapons manufacturers need to invest more money to expand the production and construction of factories.

To go for such investments, companies need large orders, and the launch of new factories can take from 2 years or more. The publication states that hoping to solve problems of EU Defense Ministers will meet March 8 in Stockholm to consider proposals for the use of EU budget for the purchase of ammunition for the Armed Forces. The estimated cost is € 4 billion.

The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Lien compares this approach with what Europe has used to guarantee vaccines safety in the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic-the merger of resources to offer more money advance. Also, the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrel proposed to allocate 1 billion euros to help compensate the countries of their stocks of artillery ammunition for Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warns that NATO members will take up to 28 months to reach the desired level of ammunition. The main task is to supply ammunition to Ukraine. Initially, the EU was looking for Soviet ammunition for the Armed Forces, but now 155 mm artillery is needed. Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov stated that Ukraine is prevented by the lack of ammunition to restrain Russian troops.

It requires 250 thousand ammunition per month, and in fact the Armed Forces shoot 120 thousand. One EU source said that 12 weapons companies in 10 EU countries are capable of producing 650,000 ammunition per year, and it is not only a 155-mm caliber, but also 105 and 120 mm ammunition for tanks. In the USA, capacity is expanding and in the spring the number of ammunition will increase from 14 to 20 thousand a month, and by 2025 companies will enter 90 thousand.

At the same time, the publication states that the lack of ammunition applies not only to Ukraine but also to the Russian Federation. In the summer of 2022, the enemy released 40-50 thousand ammunition a day, now this amount is much smaller. Analysts offer the EU and NATO to simplify bureaucratic procedures or to give Ukraine money to place orders itself to avoid bureaucracy. Germany should also allow their howitzes to shoot with non -certified shells.