Dover Air Force Base in Delaware reportedly sends off US weapons to Eastern Europe to resupply Ukraine’s military against Russia.
According to the reports several planes are taking off, hulking C-17s loaded up with Stingers, Javelins, howitzers and other materials.
The movement is reportedly exactly what US president Joe Biden wants in response to the ongoing Ukraine crisis caused by the Russian invasion.
According to the analysis released by Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies international security program, the United States has already provided about 7,000 Javelins, including some that were delivered during the Trump administration.
Moreover, analysts revealed in their latest estimate that the US has already sent about one-quarter of its stockpile of shoulder-fired Stinger missiles to Ukraine.
In an official statement Raytheon Technologies CEO Greg Hayes released, he told the investors that his company wouldn’t be able to ramp up production until next year due to parts shortages.
“Could this be a problem? The short answer is, ‘Probably, yes,’” said Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and former government specialist at the Pentagon.
According to Cancian, Stingers and Javelins were where “we’re seeing the most significant inventory issues,” and production of both weapons systems has been limited in recent years.
On Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told the media that defense officials have determined that the weapons transfers have not impacted military readiness.
“Each Javelin missile requires more than 200 semiconductors to make, and boosting domestic chip manufacturing isn’t just critical to making more in America or lowering prices, it’s also a vital component of our national security,” Psaki added.
