Senior Airman Daniel Stehley, of the 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron munitions flight, spray paints build codes on inert guided bomb units after helping assemble each weapon at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., on Feb. 27, 2012. Senior Airman Kenny Holston, U.S. Air Force
Defense News: Mattis intervened to increase munition buy in FY18 budget request
WASHINGTON — Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis personally intervened to increase the number of munitions being bought in the Pentagon’s fiscal 2018 budget request, pushing procurement of six specific weapons to the maximum production rate industry can handle, a top DoD official said Tuesday.
The Pentagon is requesting roughly $3.5 billion for “preferred munitions,” as part of a plan to replenish stocks being used as part of the ongoing campaign against the Islamic State terrorist group, commonly known as ISIS or ISIL.
But that wasn’t always the plan, said John Roth, the acting undersecretary of defense (comptroller) and chief financial officer. Speaking to reporters during the Pentagon’s budget roll-out, Roth said those programs were given a last-minute boost from Mattis himself.
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WNU Editor: The problem of running out of munitions is nothing new .... U.S. Military Running Out Of Bombs And Other Munitions In The War Against The Islamic State (February 17, 2017).
