A U.S. Air Force F-16 drops a Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). (U.S. Air Force)
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Military Working to Prevent Weapons Shortfall in Islamic State, Yemen Strikes
Airstrikes currently focusing heavily against targets that generate funding sources for Islamic State.
DUBAI—The U.S. military is working with Middle East allies to head off a potential shortfall in precision weapons which are being heavily consumed in strikes on Islamic State targets and Yemen, senior U.S. Air Force officials said Tuesday.
A key message regional allies have raised with U.S. officials is the need to replenish stocks of ammunitions and precision guided munitions, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said at the Dubai Air Show. “That’s one we are working pretty hard on,” she said.
Precision guided munitions are “pretty popular” in airstrikes carried out by the U.S. and allies, said U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Lt. Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. The U.S. is taking steps to ensure it has the right weapons stocks. The Air Force also is trying to gauge future demand from partners by examining their weapons use rate, he said, “to be able to make sure everybody has what they need.”
Update: SecAf: Gulf Nations Raise Red Flags on Munition Levels (Defense News)
WNU Editor: I suspect that the workers in the factories that pump out these munitions are working overtime and in multiple shifts.