Study Says Ukraine Conflict Renders US Unprepared For Potential War With China - Reports

The burden on America's weapons inventory from the protracted Russia-Ukraine conflict poses a threat to the United States' military readiness in the case of a war with China, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing a new CSIS study

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2023) The burden on America's weapons inventory from the protracted Russia-Ukraine conflict poses a threat to the United States' military readiness in the case of a war with China, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing a new CSIS study.

"The bottom line is the defense industrial base, in my judgment, is not prepared for the security environment that now exists," Seth Jones, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and author of the study, told the Journal.

The US has committed more than $27 billion in military equipment and supplies to Ukraine since the start of the conflict, leading to its weapons stockpile falling below the rate at which defense manufacturers can replace it quickly, Jones noted.

For example, the number of Javelin shoulder-fired missiles shipped to Ukraine since August is equivalent to about seven years' production worth and the number of antiaircraft Stinger systems equivalent to about 20 years' worth of exports.

The study blamed in part outdated government regulations on foreign military sales and inefficient bureaucracy. It warned that the stock of 155 mm ammunition, Javelin systems, howitzer artillery, and counter-artillery radar are all considered low.

Currently, Taiwan is awaiting a backlog of more than $19 billion worth of US weapons sales approved since 2019. The Pentagon also does not expect it could easily supply Taiwan after a potential conflict begins with China, which would likely blockade the small island, the report said.