Weak US Workforce Risks Defense Industry's Ability to Supply Arms to Allies - Reports

WASHINGTON(Sputnik) - A current weakness in the US workforce could jeopardize the United States' ability to replenish its stockpiles of arms and ammunition, including those of its allies that have sent their own US-made military equipment to Ukraine, Politico reported, citing sources in the US defense industry.

The United States currently has a weak workforce that could potentially pose a risk to US allies' ability to help Ukraine and delay efforts to resupply their own forces, the report said on Friday.

US defense industry leaders warned lawmakers that the lack of a strong workforce in the United States may cause a yearslong delay for its ability to replace some of the weapons supplies that have been so depleted due to the supply being sent to Ukraine, the report said.

The report added this situation has raised concerns that the readiness of US forces to deter Russia or China could ultimately suffer.

Earlier this week, the Defense Department released a supply chain report warning that the US manufacturing sector will have 2.1 million unfilled jobs, including a shortage of 383,000 highly skilled workers, by 2030. Defense manufacturing will have to compete with all industry sectors for these increasingly scarce workers, the report added.

The report added that it has become increasingly difficult for US defense supply chains to compete with the commercial industry for workers based on wages due to the "contractual environment and typically low-volume, high-variety work required by most defense contracts."

Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk requested help to defend them from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The countries of the collective West imposed comprehensive sanctions against Russia and have provided weapons supplies to Ukraine in the amount of multiple billions of dollars.