The U.S. has sent more than two million 155 mm artillery rounds to Ukraine, and will be sending more to Israel, the Army acquisition chief said Tuesday.
Army acquisition chief Doug Bush called for Congress to pass a $3 billion supplemental bill to ensure that the Army can meet its artillery production needs and the U.S. can continue to “serve as the arsenal of democracy.”
More than two million 155 mm artillery rounds from U.S. and allied stockpiles have been sent to Ukraine. The U.S. has also sent rounds to Israel from its own stockpiles but Bush declined to say how much. A plan to route artillery stockpiles from Israel to Ukraine was canceled, Bush said, after war broke out between Israel and Hamas.
“While it is in either the Israel or Ukraine support category, most of it is spent here in the U.S. because we’re making weapons with American workers at American facilities,” Bush said at a roundtable with reporters Tuesday.
The $3.1 billion supplemental is under consideration by Congress which is currently running under a continuing resolution while they hash out disagreements over a fiscal year 2024 budget. The supplemental would fund 155-mm artillery production, Bush said.
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Bush previously said the Army’s goal is to produce 100,000 rounds per month by fiscal 2025. Current U.S. production is 28,000 rounds a month up from 14,000 per month when the Ukraine war first started, Bush said.
Funding would also supply upgrades to M6 propellant to shoot artillery and 155 metal parts for the body of artillery shells. The U.S. is also seeking to increase production of IMX-104 explosives and to double tank ammunition production capacity from 10,000 to 20,000 per year.
It also includes $600 million to bring back TNT production to the U.S. instead of relying on allies like Poland. Funding would also go to construction and recommission of black powder.
Funding also applies to buying the artillery itself like 600,000 artillery projectiles, 10 million charges to shoot the shells with and foreign military financing given to allies to buy U.S. equipment.
“That funding as well would come back largely to the United States,” Bush said. “That overall number is split between Ukraine and allies supporting them, Israel and INDOPACOM allies.”
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