“The US is pulling some munitions from South Korea because of the serious depletion of US munitions elsewhere that have been sent to Ukraine. They are being depleted faster than they can be manufactured.”
This is true. American pre-positioned stocks of artillery shells are being depleted much more rapidly than current rates of production (in South Korea, Europe, Israel and the USA).
But most of that was stockpiled to meet the Russian threat, which it is doing. As these rounds are expended, so are the old Soviet stockpiles they were intended to counter. The Russians are burning through theirs faster, and also far beyond their capacity to produce. NATO planners can easily model the comparative use rates, and are unlikely to be surprised (unless China begins large scale supply to Russia, which would incur major economic sanctions on them).
Artillery shells are one of very few commodities or weapon systems where there is even a semblance of parity. Beyond them, Russia is torching its old Soviet fleets and stockpiles of everything else much much faster than the West.
In the main, Russia has burned through the better half of their conventional ground combat power, while the West has yet to commit theirs. So far, Russia has mostly just been fighting the old Warsaw Pact fleets of vehicles and planes. The first few of the (older) NATO vehicles are just now preparing to enter combat in the Ukraine, as part of the upcoming counteroffensive (starting April or May).
I view it as likely a conscious Strategy by NATO to achieve an end state to the war, where those old Soviet stockpiles have been destroyed - have Russia punch itself out, so any future regime won’t have that capability available to them.
Thanks for your input.
I have been amazed how people say “we are using all our stocks what will we do…”
These stocks abrams,, Bradley’s, 155s… were always intended for war with soviets/ Russia
They are being used for their intended purpose and will be replenished as needed. BTW Strykers and Bradley’s are being retired anyways
The other argument is that we are depleting our stocks to fight China
As I have said before if it comes down to abrams, Bradleys, 155s we have already lost
China will be air power, naval power, missiles… nothing being used in Ukraine will effect that