NATO has urged the arms industry to increase weapons and ammunition production as the war in Ukraine continues to deplete resources.
NATO Military Committee head Admiral Rob Bauer explained the war’s effects at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland, saying the “bottom of the barrel is now visible.”
“We give away weapons systems to Ukraine, which is great, and ammunition, but not from full warehouses. We started to give away from half-full or lower warehouses in Europe,” and those stores are now running low, Bauer shared.
He added that the industry needs to “ramp up” production at a higher tempo, and that large volumes are needed.
UK Minister of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey, speaking at the same forum, said that while stockpiles may run thin, aid for the war-torn country must continue. “We have to keep Ukraine in the fight tonight and tomorrow and the day after and the day after,” he said.
NATO Expansion
Bauer also pushed for stronger cooperative measures in the defense sector to combat decades of underinvestment.
“The next steps in collective defence will need close and proactive cooperation between the public and the private sector. There is so much more we can achieve together. NATO is stronger and readier than ever,” he stated as speakers at the forum shared NATO’s latest efforts in territorial defense.
In April, Finland joined the organization, adding a potent military that can better help defend its vulnerable eastern flank.
