Retired Air Force Col. Cedric Leighton reacts to reports that the US is running low on weapons previously given to Ukraine that have been critical to the country’s successes on the battlefield. #CNN #News
Retired colonel ‘very concerned’ about US weapon shortages for Ukraine
Just so we are clear the us itself isn’t running low on weapons it’s just inventory they start freaking out when certain inventory are running low. But we are not running low on weapons!
@FokU! Like that has anything to do with what’s happening right now but ok 😂😂😂
@Sreja Aćimović it has everything to do with it!
Why are you supporting dictator Putin?
Serbia has always supported Russia, what a misguided country it is!
@FokU! If you listen to one side of the story and believe everything they say to you,you will support Ukraine.If you use your brain you’ll be with Putin.
@Dave Cuddahy I sure would like to see Lith-Latv-Estonia, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Georgia, Finland and others getting their hands a little dirtier because this conflict has a bearing on whether they’ll be able to maintain sovereign independence (over a timescale of decades, I suppose).
I’ve wondered if they could negotiate a suspension or pausing of their NATO membership (or certain aspects of the contract), or, maybe release special forces into “retirement” who could then join Western Wagner groups. FSU states should be planning and enabling execution of magnificent acts of sabotage and destruction against Russian and Belarusian state institutions, not necessarily with high body counts.
@Cliodyn Cycwatch they don’t have to member countries, are able to go to war without the alliance
Any weapon actually used against your enemy is far mor valuable then any storage life!
@Clappinmonkey09your in denial and so many others, wake up to reality plz before you drown in western BS.
If Russia is your “enemy” why doesn’t your government have the intestinal fortitude to play its usual “no fly zone” games? Paper tiger much?
LOL
@Meme Memeson naZi ruSSki 🤡🐷🇷🇺🤮💩
@Stonefish13 Nazi United Snakes of AmeriKKKa
💩🍔🤡🎪
the stinger missile was designed in 1969. Its very old tech even with the upgrades. We are running out of a lot of stuff
Its not that we’re running out of the US military war inventory, we are donating older weapons that would otherwise sit in a warehouse and be disposed of years later. Its better to donate the unused old weapons and have them used against an adversary while simultaneously gaining an ally with an impressive agricultural industry. This “low stockpile” news would also be an incentive for US lawmakers to request more MIC output, causing the creation of more jobs back home. Its a win-win-win for everybody. ~$16 billion sounds like a lot, but if you look back to the near trillion we spent in the war in Afghanistan, these are mere drops in the bucket with outstanding return in investment. PLUS, we have another country slug Russia on America’s behalf without having our troops risk their lives. This investment can also lead to cheaper gas and food as it has been recently discovered that Ukraine sits on a massive oil reserve underground.
@Luis Tapia The US produces more oil then it uses now. The head of Raytheon said the we’re having trouble sourcing parts for the Stingers.
I support Ukraine but not for the those reasons you list. And yes the US can run low on its weapons stocks pile. It’s not an unlimited source of weapons. All these stockpiles of weapons have to be maintained they just don’t sit in crate’s waiting to be used. Well, the dum dum weapons maybe.
How to show younger generation why we are supporting Ukraine is difficult in a me, me, me society.
As Trump said while in a graveyard of soldier, “What was in it for them??”
I’d expect them to not understand because all of this doesn’t date back to Feb. 24, 2022; this dates back to the minute WWII ended. This is complex geopolitics with a lot of history behind it. At the end of the day, you can simply explain to the younger generation that Ukraine is doing what we Americans did against the British in the 1700s.
It’s surplus inventory that is running low, not actual inventory that is used and needed to defend and supply current military needs
where is zelenskyy who with his hoax sending bombs to Poland almost triggered WW3 although UN has law that prevent people to create hoax?
@Massimo No, they’re using critical thinking and logic along with public information to make an educated analysis. The US will never put itself in a position where it cannot defend itself. Also, just by looking at the weaponry sent to Ukraine, you can see that the majority of the weapons and equipment are old warehouse stockpiles that was mass-produced to fight the USSR. Obviously that never happened, so these weapons are being sent now instead of just rusting away.
USA neighbors are Canada and Mexico. All USA weapons are surplus.
@Marc Abelha There are ways to counter cheap drones…it used to be autocannon. 20mm would do it, though in WW2 the standard became 40mm.
Modern systems like the bushmaster would be very effective, just truck mount them.
We shouldn’t be announcing this out loud! Replenish as equipment goes out!
Just for the record, the US has PLENTY of firepower left.
When America announced its 500 billion dollar budget for the army, other countries are thinking if you are planning to attack aliens. And now you have shortage in just a few months of war?
F-35 costs about 85 million for one plane total of 130million for the support equipment and initial spare parts. We are buying 41-50 of those a month.
You really think actual military information is being told to the press? Ha
He doesn’t know our weapons inventory. If someone in the Pentagon is releasing classified information they need to be fired and punished severely. A concern Veteran 🇺🇸
Procurement is not classified, it’s in the congressional records.
If you were a concerned vet, then you would realize that giving weapons to that stupid country Ukraine was the worst of all decisions.
We f-ed over Russia and don’t think that they won’t try and get us back; especially if they lose.
Ukraine was never our ally
Seriously, no army official will ever tell you that their stocks are full and their funding is sufficient. USA has the highest military budget in the world. By far. Seriously. The next 10 successors on this list are China, India, UK, Russia, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea and Italy. And all these 10 countries together spent around 805 billion dollars on their militaries in 2021. Yeah, the USA spent 801 billion dollars alone. Let that sink in for a minute. You’re fine. (source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database)
@kevin mahon yeah, that was probably not ideal.
@Joseph Kaluwa the bases aren’t most of the budget at all. In most cases the bases cost the US nothing because the country they are located in are covering the costs for US presence.
Everything else from procurement to wages costs more
The best part is some of those countries in the top 10 are strong US allies 😂
@kevin mahon why did they do that though
@Brian Ticas Because they have no honor. Spoiled children and grandchildren of the Greatest Generation. MOMMY AND DADDY WILL PAY FOR IT.
With the exception of the HIMARS rounds, none of those munitions are things that are absolutely vital to the US military. My fires brigade turned their 155mm howitzers in a decade ago and the portable systems are really used to give infantry more survivability, not as a primary means of attack. We’d prefer to destroy tanks and aircraft way before they get within range of infantry.
What’s more, these weapons are being put to use in breaking the back of one of America’s main adversaries. They are being used for exactly what they were made and purchased to do. If you’re going to count beans, they’re being used without the tacked on $400,000 SGLI policy attached to the individual firing it. You can’t get a more budget-friendly way of reducing a world power to a fourth rate military.
If Republicans in Congress suddenly lockstep with the minority of conservatives that are for reducing assistance, and Ukraines efforts are reversed as a result, the GOP will be tied to a different red white and blue flag for quite some time. We’ve been sending physical munitions over to be used in the fight, not writing a “blank check” to be spent however Ukraine wants. If Ukraine has the ability to sell off these weapons while 20% of their territory is still in enemy hands, they must truly be masters of warfare on par with the Spartans of old.
My bet is that the Republicans that have voted for these measures continue to do so and whatever Putin bloc in the party that tries to galvanize them to do otherwise is ignored.
@Elliott Boomsluiter why is your head buried in the sand
@Sinkorswim1225 They have brought cheap drones from Iran because they said their own drones are still not up to scratch.They have also nearly wiped out the Drones the USA sent them and you can’t send them anymore because they are useless.
They don’t need to borrow anything else they have been stockpiling for 10 years with a war one day against nato in mind.
Remember Russia are an industrialised country the USA and UK aren’t.
Pro Ukraine sites are admitting Russia are advancing.
@Aisha bint Abu Bakr Which are you:
1. Paid influencers working on behalf of the Russia – China – Iran (Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas) – North Korea alliance
2. White nationalists / nazis / MAGAnauts seeking power to destroy liberal values, and to cleanse the West of non-whites
3. Radical progressives and the Islamists they carry water for, seeking power to destroy Western (“white”) “systems of power” and international finance
I don’t like your warmongering BS. Why don’t you go move to Israel and celebrate with those people how their aircraft bombed the USS Liberty in 1967? There have been people in this country that have been agitating for war with Russia for quite sometime. I think you’re one of them buddy.
One other comment to add- the weapons used in Ukraine are not the same weapons that would be used in the south China sea- the only other major hotspot the US could face. So running low on himars isn’t a major concern for me- they were made for Eastern Europe, not the south China sea.
Looking from a country outside of the US and sitting somewhere in the middle politically. there are some pretty dubious Republicans
The hard winter days will also hurt the Russian army. They aren’t out there with heaters on. Hopefully that takes an effect on them and they just quit fighting.
Low on certain ammo is not the same as a weapon shortage. Just give them something we can ramp up production better on like the tomahawk.
🤣🤣 warmongers in full gear
Tomahawk would be awesome for Ukraine
@Fresh your hero Putin started the war.
If one wants something done, he will find a way. If one doesn’t want something done, he will find an excuse. The issue is not “running low” on supplies.
That’s a really “pious” response when people are risking their lives in Ukraine, and you speak from the safety of your screen! And shame on the other 61 people who ‘liked’ this comment.
This is not our war. European have been at each other’s necks for centuries. Let them sort it out without our help for neither side.
@Petit Ben Yeah. Whether on a personal level or geo-politics scale, no one is obligated to help. Until one is in the position where he is the one who needs help. And then his perception of no one is obligated to help will change.
@Petit Ben Have you not learned anything? People said that about Hitler and Nazis, and as a result “millions” died! Putin’s troops according to a UN report are torturing and raping children as young ‘4’ years old! What on earth do you think is going on in Ukraine? Such an incredibly selfish attitude… you should be ashamed of yourself.
We don’t just stand aside while people are abused… it’s caused “humanity.”
@Petit Ben USA is behind this war 50pct. I’m American but I know what’s going on. This is a proxy war and Ukraine sold out. That’s the truth.
We spend how much money on defense every year and we somehow have shortages. Pressing X to doubt
Most likely the 155mm rounds will be the biggest issue, since they were produced in relatively low rates in the last 10 years or so, and now they are being used in a very accelerated rate – 2/3 weeks of use for rounds made in an entire year. The pentagon should just provide bigger contracts for the foreseeable future and those companies will gladly open a bunch more production lines to meet demand better.
That money went from Biden to Zelensky to FTX and back to the democrat party.
“I won’t support fighting a genocide unless accountants have counted my beans” is now the battle-cry of the GOP. I hope they’re proud.
Russia has 100,000,000 more people, so who are you saving by sending money ?
@Viral Meme’s ukraine has said no matter how many Russian soldiers Putin sends, Ukraine will kill them all
The fact that that the house republicans want an accounting for where the money to Ukraine is being spent while the senators in their own party don’t even know where the money they raised for campaigns went is laughable.
do you realize he has given them enough to give every woman in America $96,000 each.
@Viral Meme’s pretty sure we have NOT given ukraine 15 trillion dollars, which is how much you’d need to give all women in America 96k
A lot of Americans can connect with that, however we have a lot of Americans that have no sense of responsibility to anyone except themselves, nor do they have the vision or desire to consider future generations.
These weapons don’t affect our (USA) readiness capabilities. These were the stocks that were put aside whilst taking into account that our own readiness wouldn’t be affected. Strictly surplus supply that we could send to Ukraine (and have been sending). There is absolutely no way we would put ourself in that type of situation. We are increasing our military-industrial base to keep up with demands, but I sense the tone here is more regret for not being able to send them more of these systems that have helped them to such a great extent.
“We’ve spent 45 billion on arms and 15 billion on humanitarian relief.” Total spend so far 18.3 billion. Another example of GOP accounting?