(TheRedWire.com) – John Kirby, the National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator, in a recent interview on Fox News’ “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream, stated that the Biden administration, along with the defense industry, was working to increase munitions production to combat the growing concerns regarding the country’s munitions supply getting depleted.
During the interview, he pointed out that they mainly sought increased artillery shells. He added that sending cluster munitions to Ukraine was a temporary solution providing them with enough space to increase production. He said that they communicated with the defense industry to agree to increased munitions production.
Kirby’s comments also related to a new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies which discovered that the inventory of 155 mm shells and other ammunition could require anywhere between four and seven years to be replaced. Other munitions could take longer, with Javelins being estimated to require up to eight years and Stingers needing up to 18 years.
In his remarks, he pointed out that replacing the depleted storage, especially considering the growing tensions in Taiwan and the way in Ukraine, was not a matter of funding but rather a matter of acknowledging that the defense industry has argued that if they elevate production, then production is going to stay high for an extended period, especially as they would need to increase capacity at each factory and hire the necessary additional workers. Still, Kirby stated that the administration was working to show the industry that they wanted this increase to take place.
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