U.S. plans 500% surge in 155mm ammo production: Bloomberg reveals details

The media outlet notes that increased demand from U.S. allies and the trend of consolidation in the defense sector observed over three decades have led to an expansion of weapon production in the country.

The administration of President Joe Biden allocated weaponry and related equipment worth over $44 billion to Ukraine and requested additional assistance for this country, as well as for Israel and Taiwan.

Now, the Army Science Board informs Congress that the military's ammunition base has significant vulnerabilities, potentially resulting in insufficient supplies for the United States itself.

The Pentagon aims to increase ammunition production by 500%

"As government officials and investors wonder about the world sliding into a new era of great-power conflict, the US is finding it’s difficult to adjust its manufacturing base," the material reads.

For instance, the U.S. has only one factory capable of producing black powder necessary for artillery shells used by the Ukrainian army.

Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. produced 15,000 units of 155-millimeter artillery shells per month. The Pentagon hopes to increase production by 500% in the next two years, with estimated costs currently at $1.5 billion.

What a retired U.S. general says about this

Retired Major General with 32 years of service in the U.S. Army, John Ferrari, stated that the failure to take action due to what he described as inadequate U.S. preparedness for war may have serious consequences.

"The only thing more expensive than preparing for war is fighting a war, and the only thing more expensive than fighting a war is losing a war," he said.

Ferrari's service included work in the Army Materiel Command - a group that monitors the sufficiency of ammunition. He believes there can't be a strong economy without strong defense.

Millions of shells for Ukraine

At the end of last winter, it became known that the Ukrainian Armed Forces faced a shortage of artillery shells. Therefore, in early May, the EU Council adopted a decision to provide assistance to Ukraine in the amount of one billion euros for joint purchases of ammunition and missiles. European countries were expected to provide Ukraine with a million shells.

Later, Bloomberg reported that the European Union was falling behind its plan to supply Ukraine with a million artillery shells by March 2024. Currently, only 30% of the plan has been executed.

Politico also reported that the U.S. industry was struggling to meet global demand for ammunition and other armaments related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.