U.S. Military’s Weapons Shortage Shows Few Signs of Easing Soon
New York Times reports:
President Trump and senior Pentagon officials sought to solve the country’s munitions shortage by approaching the problem from two directions in meetings this week.
They urged defense companies to speed up production of depleted weapons systems. And they pushed lawmakers to approve additional money to pay for the war against Iran, which helped to deplete munitions.
It is likely to be an uphill battle.
In a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, defense companies told Mr. Trump that they wanted more money to fund expanding production, according to two officials with knowledge of the meeting.
Mr. Trump, one of the officials said, was more conciliatory than he has been in past meetings with the companies and told them that his administration was working to secure more funding. But his request for $70 billion to pay for the war is expected to face stiff opposition in Congress. The proposal needs bipartisan support in the Senate to advance, and nearly all Democrats have said they will not vote to fund a conflict they oppose.
PHOTO: Centcom