The US is starting to worry about the lack of state-of-the-art systems and ammunition it is sending to Ukraine amid the conflict with Russia, CNN reported on Thursday, citing sources.
According to three US officials interviewed by the outlet, some of the challenges the US is facing in terms of supporting Ukraine include its “dwindling” stockpiles of arms and the ability of the defense industry to cope with demand. One official told CNN that there is a “finite amount” of excess stock that Washington can send to Kiev.
Washington is particularly concerned about the available stockpiles of 155mm artillery shells and Stinger air defense missiles, the report says. Some officials are also worried about the production of arms such as HARMs anti-radiation missiles, GMLRS surface-to-surface missiles, and Javelin anti-tank systems.
CNN’s sources maintain, however, that the dent in the stockpiles does not compromise national security, given that the weapons for Ukraine do not come from the supplies the Pentagon reserves for its own contingencies. A senior official also told the outlet that the assessment that the US is “running low” on arms is subjective, as it depends on how much risk the Pentagon is prepared to accept.