In the event of a war with China, the United States could exhaust its ammunition in just 3-4 weeks

A new RAND analysis of US national defence says the Pentagon could run out of ammunition within "three to four weeks" in a prolonged war with China.

Here's What We Know

A 114-page report released on Monday by a bipartisan congressionally appointed commission urgently warned that the US is not prepared for a prolonged conflict with either China or Russia, let alone both at the same time. The eight-person commission, which included a retired army general, a former Democratic congresswoman and a former US ambassador, said that munitions stockpiles are particularly short.

They cited a 2022 report by two analysts at the Center for National Security Studies, which said that the United States does not have enough weapons to "blunt and defeat an initial invasion" by powers such as China.

The commissioners added that this deficit has persisted even after the US recently stepped up arms production to supply Ukraine.

"As a result, unclassified public war games suggest that in a conflict with China, the United States would basically exhaust its ammunition stockpile in just three to four weeks," the report said.

Some important munitions, such as anti-ship missiles, could even run out in just a few days.

The commissioners said stockpiles among US allies are also a concern. They cited a 2022 report by the Royal United Services Institute on the war in Ukraine as an example: "At the height of the fighting in the Donbas, Russia used more ammunition in two days than the entire British army has on hand."

Source: Business Insider