U.S. cranks up ammo output (quadrupling production)

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- The pace of training and combat required of U.S. troops in Iraq is prompting the Army to quadruple its production of small-arms ammunition compared with prewar levels, a move intended to stave off an ammunition shortage like the one the Pentagon faced last summer.

The Army within months will award manufacturing contracts for ammunition used in its M-16 and M-4 rifles and .50-caliber guns. Since shortly after the Vietnam War, that ammunition has been made at only one location in the U.S., the sprawling Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Mo.

But the intensified training of troops, particularly National Guard and Reserve units that find themselves in hostile situations throughout Iraq, has meant units are quickly running through the Pentagon's ammunition stockpiles. Last summer the Defense Department turned to ammunition-makers in South Korea, Canada and Israel to supplement the weapons stocks.

The expanded contracts are another indication of just how intense the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have become, especially compared with the original expectations of military leaders and planners.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0502070214feb07,1,4940194.story?coll=chi-news-hed

[wtmusic]

1. Too bad they can't just crank up the production

of the people who fire them...

[DBoon]

4. Why do you think the are anti abortion/contraceptive?

Reducing the lead time inherent in producing soldiers is a bit tougher, thoug

[AndyTiedye]

5. They Have Plans to Do Exactly That

[alfredo]

2. That could also mean bush is planning

more adventures overseas.

[Kagemusha]

6. Not really, the ammo shortage is hurting training badly.

That's a good enough reason in itself. But the Pentagon is historically slow to worry about things like this.

Ramping up plain ol' bullet production is one of the few intelligent moves made lately. That doesn't excuse the other mistakes, which are legion...

[TexasLawyer]

8. Are we training that many more troops than before?

I thought that several branches of the military had fallen short on their recruiting efforts. Also, I thought training periods were getting shorter rather than longer.

[hootinholler]

11. The amount of training ammo used by the US military is laughable...

The name of the game today is 'fire superiority'. Our guys are basically taught to spray down a general area until it stops shooting back. The guard is discovering that marksmanship is valuable even within that philosophy because you can spray more accurately into points that penetrate.

Back in the day I spent 5 years in the Navy and expended something like 82* rounds of training ammo total. I wonder what the rounds/man expended in Army boot is? My guess is under 500.

-Hoot

* - Number pulled out of my ass, actual number is less, but undocumented.

[alfredo]

13. Are they still buying ammo off shore too?

I guess the quadrupling of supply made me think they need more than just for training.

[foo_bar]

3. Guns don't kill people, bullets do.

-Sledgehammer

[daleo]

7. Quadruple ammunition...Iran...just wondering? n/t

[number6]

9. kaboom

your tax dollers at work :nuke:

[Emboldened Chimp]

10. War is the health of corporate profits

God bless 'murika.

[RPM]

12. geeze - ammo all comes from one factory?!?!?!

I hope that bad boy is well guarded. :wtf: Something about putting all of your eggs in one basket... yowsa

[VegasWolf]

14. Yes, a subsidary of Halliburton no doubt. n/t

[coreystone]

15. Would "depleted uranium" (or DU) be a part of the increase in 50 mm..

ordinance? Just curious! That would certainly indicate a "need" more than for "training" purposes.
:-)

[slackmaster]

16. That's .50 caliber not 50 mm and the answer is no

No DU is used in anything smaller than 20 mm rounds.

ordinance?

You mean ordnance.

[slackmaster]

17. Production rates suffer from a problem common in private industry

Failure to properly anticipate need.

The results are always the same - Shortages of things you really need when you need them most, and surplus when the need diminishes.

The good news is - Cheap ammo on the way for consumers (eventually).