Biden’s emergency request for Ukraine includes $16.4 billion for the Pentagon, on top of the more than $3.4 billion in military aid provided by the U.S. since the beginning of the invasion. While the majority of the request is designed to put weapons in the hands of Ukrainian forces, more than $5 billion is earmarked to replenish U.S. stocks.
But even with that funding, the U.S. may struggle to replace key weapons systems. Raytheon Technologies Corp., which produces Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and partners with Lockheed on the Javelin, said in an earnings call last week that it would take years to fully replenish stockpiles.
Chief Executive Officer Greg Hayes said it wouldn’t be a matter of simply ratcheting up production, because the company has a “very limited stock” of material on hand and some components are no longer commercially available. The company is talking through the supplier constraints with the Pentagon, which hasn’t purchased Stingers in 18 years, Hayes said.