Pentagon admits arms supply to Kyiv creating additional pressure on US' defence industries

The US administration has admitted that its military aid to Ukraine is depleting the American arsenal and adding more pressure on US' defence industries and defence industrial base. The US administration has indicated that this is not just the case for the USA but the case for other western nations as well. US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl was speaking with Washington based defence writers, whilst admitting this fact, as per a report from TASS.

"There's no question that it has put pressure on our own stockpiles, it has put pressure on our defense industrial base. That's been true of our allies," the US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy said. "I will say, [US Defense] Secretary [Lloyd] Austin has been laser focused since the beginning in making sure that we were not taking undue risk, that is that we weren't drawing down our stockpile so much that it would undermine our readiness and our ability to respond to another major contingency elsewhere in the world," he added. 

Is arms supply to Ukraine affecting Taiwan?

Colin Kahl said that the Russia-Ukraine war has shown the US that its defence industrial base needs to be more nimble and resilient. "I am comfortable that the support we have provided to Ukraine has not put the United States in a dangerous position as it relates to another major contingency somewhere in the world, but it has revealed that we have work to do to make our defense industrial base more nimble, more responsive, more resilient," said the US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Back in August, NY Times had reported that Stinger missiles US is supplying to Ukraine has created a situation where US does not have enough Stinger missiles to supply to Taiwan. 

In May, Washington Post had reported that delivery of Howitzers to Taiwan was being delayed due to a strained US supply chain. On 5th November, US national security advisor Jake Sullivan visited Ukraine to meet with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. They discussed how the US can increase Ukraine's capabilities to ensure that the war-torn nation can defend its civilian infrastructure.