Rapidly Depleting Munitions Stockpiles Point to Necessary Changes in Policy

The final version of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes requirements for new assessments of the DOD’s ability to replenish critical munition inventories.3 On the Senate side, proposed legislation, including the Promoting Readiness for Overseas Contingencies and Unexpected Responses to Exigencies (PROCURE) Act4 and the Securing American Acquisitions, Readiness, and Military. [...] Technology used at ammunition plants is decades behind the state of the art, which both limits efficiency and endangers workers.7 The munitions these plants produce are in higher demand than they have been in decades, making investment in these facilities a priority for the Army, the DOD, and Congress. [...] Recommendations for Congress and the President To ensure that the country has a sufficient munitions stockpile, Con- gress should: l Fund the larger munitions purchases authorized in the 2023 NDAA. [...] In order to replenish the munitions sent to Ukraine in the short term, and to expand munitions capacity in the long term, the U. [...] The House and Senate Armed Services Committees should direct the DOD to share the details of its munitions-development process with pertinent committee members to ensure that the DOD is stockpiling enough munitions to meet a variety of potential wartime scenarios.