U.S. ARMY SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE


Now that we are operating at full speed, the Army has a partic- ular focus on ramping up production of artillery and various munitions, especially, precision munitions. Systems such as Javelin, Stinger, Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers are crucial to the Ukrainian war effort. Tis is a significant ongoing effort that consumes much of my day.


PRODUCTION CAPACITY Our effort began in earnest early last summer as the conflict esca- lated and lengthened in time. We went through a deliberate effort to start planning for the production ramp-ups that are currently underway. Tis included working with industry partners and securing congressional support for the billions of dollars needed to support the necessary expansion of production. Now that we are past the planning phase, we are in full execution mode.


Although some people were surprised by the initial timelines to increase production, the Army was not. Tese are signifi- cant and sophisticated manufacturing operations. Consider a “simple” artillery shell. Tere’s a fuse, the shell itself, the primer and the charges that launch it from an artillery tube. All these parts have their own detailed supply chains behind them and


are manufactured in facilities that are geographically dispersed. Terefore, it is not just the prime contractors or the Army depots; it is everything underneath them.


We have made a concerted effort to energize all these production variables across the board because we do not know how long the war in Ukraine will last. Furthermore, we are taking a maximal- ist approach, because in not knowing how long the war will last, we also don’t know how low our stockpiles will diminish. Regard- less of the war’s duration, we must maintain supply for Ukraine, while replenishing our own stocks post-conflict.


PULLING RAMP-UP CURVE ‘LEFT AND UP’ Te war in Ukraine has reinforced the traditional notion that the U.S. is the arsenal of democracy. As far as I am concerned, we are.


Te Army supports this in at least three ways. Te first relies on the Army’s organic industrial base, which is dedicated to conventional munitions. It turns out that the Army made a good long-term bet by investing in and maintaining our own ammu- nition plants. Without those investments in government-owned, contractor-operated plants, we would be lagging far behind where we are today.


JAVELIN LIVE FIRE


Soldiers with the 11th Airborne Division fire a Javelin Anti- Tank Missile System in August 2022. The Javelin is used as an anti-tank missile to disable vehicles with one round and is a key system for Ukraine support. (Photo by Pfc. Wyatt Moore, 28th Public Affairs Detachment)


6


Army AL&T Magazine


Summer 2023


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