US discusses prospects for weapons production for Ukraine
9 January, 2024 Javelin production at Lockheed Martin. April 2022. Photo credits: Reuters
The White House officials discussed the production of weapons for Ukraine with US defense companies. Reuters reported on this with reference to senior administration officials. Jake Sullivan, Head of the White House National Security Council, convened the meeting on Monday, January 8.
The meeting was aimed at preparing the American defense industrial base both for Ukraine's immediate needs and for any future conflicts. The discussion was attended by about a dozen leaders from venture capital firms and the technology and defense industries.
Maintenance of the Stinger man-portable air defense system. Photo credits: U.S.
Army
According to a White House official, the meeting was aimed at helping Ukraine overcome "key technological challenges that they have identified as inhibiting their progress and momentum on the battlefield." The participants included industry executives from Palantir Technologies and Anduril Industries defense technology companies, as well as Fortem Aerospace and drone manufacturer Skydio. The talks, which lasted several hours, focused on effectively using US defense technologies to support Ukraine.
They discussed demining, drones, and systems to counter Russian drones. It is worth noting that US military assistance to Ukraine has mobilized the US defense industry and attracted billions of dollars in arms production. The Pentagon emphasized that this has not been seen in the country for decades.
The allocated funds do not go directly to Ukraine, but are used to produce new weapons in the United States to meet the current needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or to replace those that have been sent from US stockpiles.
The GMLRS missiles production.
Photo from the manufacturer's company
Militarnyi previously reported that Aerojet Rocketdyne, owned by L3Harris Technologies, would accelerate the production of solid fuel engines for GMLRS missiles used by the M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS, which are also in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.