On Tuesday, the Israeli news outlet Ynet reported that the IDF plans to phase out the American-made rifles used by many of its soldiers and replace them with a domestically produced standard-issue firearm. Israel will also begin manufacturing its own one-ton bombs, and its factories will soon be churning out about 1 million rounds of ammunition each day. The Jewish state will as a result become less dependent on the U.S., and thus less susceptible to American attempts at coercion. But Washington too will benefit from this shift, as Sean Durns explains:
The United States is facing a munitions crisis. America’s defense industrial base is a shadow of its former self, and conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine have fed growing concerns about a rapidly depleting stockpile. . . . The risk is clear: were a major war to break out with China, the U.S. might well run out of munitions within the first few weeks of combat operations. Wars in Europe and the Middle East have already put pressure on an already stressed defense industrial base. And policymakers have taken notice.
Various factors have contributed to the munitions shortage: bureaucratic red tape, a decline in the number of prime contractors, and a budget and appropriations process that discourages upfront investments that are necessary to strengthen the defense industrial base. It is a problem that won’t be fixed overnight.
By having key allies step up and take on more of the defense burden, Washington will be able to focus on growing threats in the Indo-Pacific.
Read more on Washington Examiner: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/courage-strength-optimism/2889870/israel-offers-solution-america-munitions-crisis/