Washington (AP) The top U.S. commander for the Indo-Pacific region stated Tuesday that the battles in the Middle East and Ukraine are depleting vital U.S. weapons stocks and could hinder the military’s capacity to respond to China in the event of an Indo-Pacific conflict.
Adm. Samuel Paparo, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, issued a warning on Tuesday, saying that the United States’ provision or sale of air defenses worth billions of dollars to Israel and Ukraine is now preventing him from responding in the Indo-Pacific, for example, in the event that China invades Taiwan.
When asked if the conflicts were impeding the United States’ capacity to respond to threats in the Indo-Pacific, I had responded, “Not at all,” up until this year, when the majority of the weapons used were really artillery pieces and short-range weaponry. Paparo uttered such words.
He told a crowd at the Brookings Institution in Washington that it would be dishonest to claim differently because it is currently hurting stocks.
China claims that annexing Taiwan is a historical necessity and has increased military pressure on the island nation, including by conducting a large-scale military drill in October that involved 125 warplanes.
In recent years, China’s military has stepped up its encirclement of Taiwan’s skies and waterways, conducting joint exercises with its fighter jets and warships almost every day in the vicinity of the democratically governed island. Although the United States, like the majority of nations, does not recognize Taiwan as a nation, it is the island’s principal ally and is required by American law to give it the resources it needs to defend itself.
Over the course of the 1,000th day since Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States has given more than $60.4 billion in military aid, including more than 40 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and ammunition, three Patriot air defense systems and missiles, and the much-desired longer-range Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMs, which Ukraine first used in Russia on Tuesday.
The United States sent one of its few Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries to Israel in October, along with roughly 100 personnel to assist with its operation, in response to Iran’s launch of hundreds of ballistic missiles into Israel.
Additionally, while Israel continues its offensives against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, the United States has frequently sent air defense bombs. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in the battles.
Prior to President-elect Donald Trump taking office, the departing Biden administration has pledged to use the remaining $7.1 billion in presidential drawdown authority—that is, weapons removed from U.S. stockpiles—to deploy weaponry to Ukraine. U.S. authorities say it will reveal another package this week.
However, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh stated Tuesday that the weapons’ ability to be sent will be restricted by what is available on the shelves.
“The U.S. has too few munitions in reserves because of the push to get weapons to Israel and Ukraine,” Paparo told the think tank audience.
According to Paparo, we ought to restock those supplies and then some. The magazine depth had already left me feeling let down. In reference to the quantity of munitions in reserve, he stated, “I’m a little more dissatisfied with the magazine depth.”
The Associated Press, 2024. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. It is prohibited to publish, broadcast, rewrite, or redistribute this content without authorization.
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