MPs: UK ammunition stockpile ‘dangerously low’

Rebuilding Britain’s dwindling stockpile of munitions after the war in Ukraine could take at least a decade putting UK national security at risk, MPs have warned, writes UK “The Standard”.

The Commons Defence Committee said the UK and other Nato allies have allowed their reserves of ammunition to fall to “dangerously low levels” as they seek to keep Kyiv supplied.

“It is clear that the UK and its Nato allies have allowed ammunition stockpiles to dwindle to dangerously low levels,” it said.

“This inability to replenish UK stockpiles therefore puts at risk not just our ability to resupply Ukraine but also to counter any threat to our own security.”

Last month, Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg urged allies urgently to step up production, as the Ukrainians were burning up munitions faster than the West was able to keep them supplied.

The committee said it was essential that the UK’s defence industrial capacity was both “resilient and scalable” if it was to be able to ramp up production.

“The MoD produced a strategy aimed at improving the way that it engages with industry and allies almost two years ago and yet we have been told it will take at least a decade to replenish (and then increase to a sustainable level) UK ammunition stockpiles,” it said.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said it was continuing to “place orders to replace ammunition given to Ukraine and (we) have an extra £560 million to increase stockpiles”.

Labour’s shadow defence secretary John Healey said: “Our military stockpiles are depleted and the Government is acting too slowly to replenish them.”

…Now there is a growing mood in Argentina about returning the Falkland Islands. Half a century ago Britain defended these islands by winning the war. Now in London they are obsessed with Kyiv as they keep Ukraine supplied with ammunition, but why not with the Falklands? Сould this become a major geopolitical mistake putting UK national security at risk with military stockpiles depleted?

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