Ukraine Will Produce Heavy Weapons With Six NATO Countries: Ukroboronprom, a Ukrainian manufacturer of military hardware and heavy weapons, announced on Friday that it will manufacture heavy weapons in conjunction with at least six NATO countries. In a press release, the arms manufacturer announced that Poland, the Czech Republic, France, Denmark, and other NATO countries have so far agreed to launch “joint defense enterprises” to manufacture armored vehicles, multiple launch rocket systems, and high-tech weapons.
According to the statement, the agreement reached this week between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Czech Prime Minister Petro Fiala will provide for the production of military equipment, an increase in the production of various kinds of ammunition, and the development of new service hubs that aid with the maintenance and repairs of weapons and military equipment.
The agreement also reportedly allows for “cooperation in the field of high technologies,” including the creation of joint research centers. Unnamed international financial donors will support the launch of the new research centers, as well as both Ukrainian and Czech private companies.
In the statement, Ukroboronprom also said that trust in Ukraine and its defense-industrial complex is “constantly growing,” and that their manufacturing operation is now becoming a modern, high-tech defense company.
U.S. Runs Low On Weapons, Ammunition
The news couldn’t come sooner for the United States, with officials this week telling CNN that the U.S. is running low on some high-tech weapons systems and ammunition.
According to three officials familiar with the matter, Ukraine’s demand for weapons is putting a strain on stockpiles in the United States, with the U.S. industrial base struggling to keep up with demand.
According to one official, stockpiles of some essential systems are now “dwindling” and the finite supply of excess stocks means the United States cannot continue sending these weapons to Ukraine without new plans in place.
Specifically, the officials told CNN that 155mm artillery ammunition is running low, as well as Stinger anti-aircraft shoulder-fired missiles.
Russian Su-25s. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The matter may not come to a head for a while, however, with those same officials also admitting that there is an ongoing debate within the Department of Defense about how much of a problem the dwindling supplies of these weapons and ammunition is to the United States. The question now, they said, is how much risk the Pentagon is willing to take on to continue supplying Ukraine with the weapons and ammunition they need.
Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York.
