The Army is also upping monthly GMLRS production from 566 missiles to 1,110 by 2026, Camarillo said. The 70-kilometer-plus missile has been used in high-profile strikes on Russian forces since it first arrived in Ukraine last November.<\/p>\n
Overall, the U.S. is investing over $2 billion this year in industrial facilities used to manufacture weapons and ammunition. Camarillo said the projects were awarded and funded in \u201crapid\u201d time by Congress. The funds are part of a 15-year, $18 billion plan to modernize government-owned weapons and munitions facilities.<\/p>\n
Army production of 155mm shells appeared to be slightly ahead of its past estimates. In April, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said the U.S. was planning to manufacture 20,000 155mm rounds per month by spring, not the 24,000 that Camarillo said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Still, it\u2019s unclear whether the increase in U.S. production can meet Ukraine\u2019s needs and its own.<\/p>\n
The U.S. has already sent 1,074,000 155mm rounds to Ukraine, which is burning though as many as 143,000 rounds a month, according<\/a> to research by Mark Cancian, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.<\/p>\n Even with the planned funding, some hard limits remain for U.S. production, according to Camarillo and Doug Bush, assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics, and technology. At an Army budget hearing earlier in March, Camarillo said<\/a> that production of Javelins was at the \u201cmaximum.\u201d<\/p>\n Bush said a lack of machine tools was holding<\/a> back production of munitions.<\/p>\n \u201cThese machines are the size of buildings. You don\u2019t just go buy it from a parking lot somewhere,\u201d Bush said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n