It Could Take The United States THIRTEEN Years To Re-Stock The Ammunition After Ukraine Defense Packages

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The United States' commitment to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion appears to have rattled the stability of the domestic stockpile of missiles and munitions.

The Biden administration has promised — as part of $33 billion sent in military aid for the besieged country so far along with over 200,000 rounds of artillery, rockets, and tank rounds.

In fulfilling those promises, The New York Times reported the US has sent Ukraine so many stockpiled Stinger missiles that it would take 13 years of production at recent capacity levels to replace them.

Raytheon, the company that helps make Javeline missile systems, said it would take five years at last year's production rates to replace the number of missiles sent to Ukraine in the last ten months.

Currently, the US produces just over 14,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition every month — and Ukrainian forces have previously fired that many rounds in the span of 48 hours. US officials in January proposed a production increase up to 90,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition each month to keep up with demand.

What absolutely insane number. Just in the latest round of 33 billion dollars in Ukraine spending there will be 200,000 artillery, rockets, and tank rounds provided to keep Russia at bay. That's hard to even wrap your head around. 

I remember watching artillery strikes on different targets in Fallujah. Them things were flying overhead and crushing their targets. Entire chunks of buildings would fly off, cars would be incinerated, and roads were completely wrecked. At tthat time, there was nowhere near that level of ammunition flying through the air… well, at least that I knew of. I was a super low-ranking dude at that time so who knows? Maybe we were firing off a million a day. Hard to say. 

I just know this package is wildly expensive and that dough is going into someone's pocket. Who? Raytheon. 

For those who believe in the military-industrial complex, this one is a big ole feather in the cap. The way I look at it is this:

The war in Afghanistan and Iraq is largely over. There are certainly still troops in Iraq, Syria, and the horn of Africa but, for the most part, larger-scale conflicts are done for the first time in 20 years. That doesn't stop the contracts though. Now, I'm not that smart and will never fully look into this but I have a theory. What if the contracts for Afghanistan and Iraq continue for another year or two? Those rounds have to be made, right? You don't just sign a deal with a company like Raytheon and say "ya know what? I think I'll take my HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) rounds ala cart. I want a little of this and a little of that." 

Nope. It takes a long time to develop these weapons especially when you are talking about numbers like 90,000 rounds a month. None of those are free. We pay for each and every one. Sometimes, a regular 155mm artillery round can cost as little as 500 smackeroons each. Not bad! Cheap! Some might even say that's a fuckin bargain. Others can cost as much as 150k each. That's a little rich for my blood but it ain't nothin for ole sleepy joe. You cant take your artillery shells with you to the grave so, like cigars, smoke em if you got em. 

Now, don't get me wrong. I fully believe in helping Ukraine and am not an idiot who thinks this is a planned war because I have brain cells and don't watch solely youtube for my news. I don't read some meme page and base my entire frame of thought on international politics based on the word of some guy named Brian who works at the Pentagon cafeteria and heard something from his friend who is a staffer for a member of the House Arms Committee. I'm a dude who gets his information from Reddit like any other self-respecting podcaster. Plus, I know the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps now so I'm pretty plugged in. 

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We hear about how much Defense spending will cost and the number is shocking for 3 minutes and then we move the fuck on. 33 billion here. 39 billion there. So far, the US has spent one hundred and nine billion dollars. 109,000,000,000. Those are Portnoy-type zeros. Still, we spend well over TRILLIONS of dollars on Iraq and Afghanistan. Whats a little more to sweeten the ole war drum pot?

Our latest aid package is more than the entire Defense budget for every country in NATO except for four and only six out of the whole world spent more this year than the 33 billion we sent to Ukraine this week. Only America, England, Germany, and France spend more on Nato defense per year.

The difference in what we spend vs what other countries spend is absolutely laughable. Look at those numbers! 800 billion is ours and the next closest is still 720 BILLION away. 

Anyway, we spend a lot on weapons and we will spend more by the end of the year. Raytheon workers' overtime aint cheap. Ah, who are we kidding? That money is going into the pockets of board members and former generals. I need to get on that board. Daddy needs a new house in Chicago.