Ammunition for Ukraine: US must loot ammunition depots

In order to deliver the promised arms and ammunition to Ukraine, the United States is using US military depots in Israel and South Korea. According to one expert, the USA and Europe are no longer prepared for a conventional war of this magnitude.

When it comes to military aid for Ukraine, the main discussions so far have been about tanks, missile defense systems and the demand for combat aircraft. On the other hand, the huge amounts of ammunition received by Ukraine were hardly noticed. The US alone has delivered or promised more than a million artillery shells. But the Americans are increasingly having delivery problems. The US armed forces now have to resort to their own ammunition depots in Israel and South Korea.

“I think that’s going to be a problem,” says Max Bergmann of the Center for Strategic and International Studies CSIS in Washington. “It reflects the fact that in the past 20 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks, the US and Europeans have focused primarily on non-conventional conflicts, such as fighting terrorists or insurgents in Iraq or Afghanistan.”

Suddenly, the US finds itself in a position where, with Ukraine, they are supporting a country that is engaged in a conventional war with a major military power in Europe, Bergmann said.

Conversion of the armaments industry takes years

The US arms industry has recently focused more on new high-tech weapons than on the production of conventional ammunition. You can’t just flip the switch again, says defense expert Bergmann. “It’s a process that’s just beginning. There’s a gap that the US has to fall back on its depots for. It will take a few years to replenish here.”

But Europe must improve as well. The European armaments companies would have to start producing again. So far, European armaments companies have too often not focused on the necessities in Europe itself, but on global exports. According to Bergmann, a realignment is needed: “Frankly, this requires investments. To do this, Germany, the European Union and other European countries not only have to increase their defense spending, but also focus on the right things.”

Negotiations with Israel and South Korea

In order for US ammunition supplies to be able to come in part from depots in Israel and South Korea, Washington had to conduct negotiations with both countries. The munitions stored there, while US property, are actually being held for potential conflicts in the Middle East and Asia. The US depots in both countries are to be replenished as soon as possible.

Amount of military aid from 2024 in question

CSIS expert Bergmann warns that the supply of supplies to Ukraine as a whole could soon meet with resistance in the US Congress. Republicans have had a majority in the House of Representatives since the beginning of the year. Although the majority of them are also in favor of supporting Ukraine, the amount of aid is disputed. The question of whether the Europeans don’t have to do more is being asked more loudly than before.

Most of the aid packages have been passed for 2023, says Bergmann. The key year comes after that. “The challenge will be what it looks like in 2024. It is very difficult to imagine that this congress will then decide on the same amount of aid packages again.” The burden will be heavier on Europe if the US can no longer support Ukraine to the same extent as in 2022 and 2023.