Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro warned Wednesday that continued support for Ukraine will be difficult if weapons manufacturers do not ramp up production in the next six to 12 months.
The comments came on the sidelines of the Surface Navy Association conference in Arlington, Virginia. Del Toro was asked to respond to comments from Admiral Daryl Caudle, commander of the US/Ukrainian Fleet Forces Command.
FILE: US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro speaks during the 2022 United States Naval Academy graduation ceremony at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 27. May 2022.
(MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Del Toro said the Navy had “not arrived yet” but argued that the supply chain would be affected if the conflict continued for another six months.
“It’s obvious that … these companies have a significant pipeline going forward,” del Toro said. “Now they need to invest in their workforce, as well as the capital investments they had to make within their own companies to increase their production.”
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During his talk, Caudle chided defense companies for blaming the COVID-19 pandemic on missing weapons delivery deadlines, Defense One reported.
“I’m not that forgiving of the defense industrial base. I just am not,” he said. “I don’t forgive the fact that it’s not delivering the ordnance we need. All this stuff about COVID, this…supply chain, I just don’t care. We all have tough jobs.”
An M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) takes part in a military exercise near Liepaja, Latvia on September 26, 2022.
(Reuters)
Later, clarifying his comments, del Toro said that the Department of Defense has been working “very, very closely” with the industry “to encourage them to find out what their challenges or obstacles are, so they can increase their own production rates.”
“It is obvious that these companies have great potential for the future. Now they need to invest in their people, again, in their workforce, as well as in the capital investments that they have to make within their own companies to increase their production rates. . ” he said.
“So when that happens, we’ll be in a better place. The time it takes often varies from weapon system to weapon system.”
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To date, Congress has authorized nearly $100 billion for Ukraine. The hefty sum has prompted some Republican lawmakers to demand more accountability for how the money is spent.
