Ukraine war exposes vulnerabilities in US defence supply chain
The supply of thousands of military systems to Ukraine has shed light on the dwindling number of ammunition suppliers in the US. (Photo: US DoD)
The US supply of weapons and ammunition to Kyiv has highlighted labour and material shortages, a too-limited supplier base and the need for shorter delivery timelines.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the decision to provide thousands of items of military equipment and ammunition to the troops of president Volodymyr Zelenskyy have exposed vulnerabilities in the US defence supply chain.
Issues relating to the workforce, shortages of key materials and components, a reduction in the vendor base, the speed national industry can manufacture certain systems, and reliance on partially foreign-owned enterprises (especially those with Chinese capital) have been flagged as causes of concern.
‘We are in a place now that we all agree the vulnerabilities are too significant,’ Elisabeth Reynolds, Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing and
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