US redirects $1.6bln in Ukraine aid to boost shell production
Funds originally allocated in 2024 have been redirected to ramp up production of 155mm artillery shells, a NATO-standard caliber vital to Ukrainian forces who are facing an ongoing supply shortage.
According to newly reviewed budget documents, the US Army's 2026 financial plan outlines how aid earmarked for Ukraine is also being used to strengthen the US's defense industrial base. Notably, more than $623 million is set aside for the construction of a new Trinitrotoluene (TNT) production facility. Once operational, the plant is expected to produce five million pounds of TNT annually, reducing US dependence on foreign suppliers and securing a key component in the manufacturing of 155mm shells.
These developments come as artillery demand in Ukraine continues to surge, reflecting a broader US strategy aimed at maintaining military readiness and ensuring consistent munitions availability for both allied and US forces.
The TNT facility is intended to supply explosives essential to 155mm artillery rounds. As US stockpiles are drawn down to support Ukraine, this facility seeks to ensure uninterrupted production and mitigate supply chain risks.
Another $600 million has been allocated to the Holston Army Ammunition Plant to expand production of IMX 104, a safer and more stable explosive that replaces legacy compounds. This upgrade targets a capacity of 13 million pounds annually and directly supports both current and future US munitions systems.
The Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, a key producer of 155mm metal parts, received $80 million for design upgrades, facility improvements, and new equipment. These efforts aim to increase automation and production efficiency. An additional $21 million was allocated to nearby General Dynamics facilities for a new forging press to further accelerate shell output.
Additionally, the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant received $100 million to support the production of the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) 6.8mm round, a new caliber designed for enhanced performance in future combat scenarios. An additional $72 million was set aside for constructing an Automated Contaminated Waste Plant to maintain safe and efficient operations at the Lake City site.
At the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, $93.8 million has been allocated to modernize its solvent propellant production for key materials like M6 and M31A2, intended to rapidly replenish 155mm artillery stocks.
Lastly, $14 million was directed to the Goex facility at Camp Minden, Louisiana, for modernizing black powder production, ensuring the continued availability of niche energetic materials for the US government.
While presented under the banner of Ukraine aid, the $1.6 billion in redirected funding ultimately enhances US domestic defense production capabilities. The investments reflect Washington's dual-track approach: supporting Ukrainian forces while simultaneously reinforcing long-term US military readiness.Meanwhile, Trump confirmed on Tuesday that he had approved the delivery of additional defensive weapons to Ukraine and is weighing new sanctions against Russia, expressing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the worsening toll of the war.
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said that while he had once believed in diplomacy with Putin, recent battlefield developments and rising casualties have left him disillusioned.
'I'm not happy with Putin. I can tell you that much right now,' Trump said, pointing to the thousands of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers killed during the war. 'We get a lot of bullsh*t thrown at us by Putin. … He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless,' he added.
Reports revealed that Trump had campaigned on a promise to end the war in Ukraine within a day. That promise, however, remains unfulfilled as efforts by his administration to broker a peace agreement have stalled.
Read more: Western arms undermine peace, talks await Kiev's response: Kremlin
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nahar Net
8 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Trump confirms US envoy Witkoff to travel to Russia
by Naharnet Newsdesk 04 August 2025, 11:40 Donald Trump has confirmed his special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia in the coming week, ahead of a deadline the U.S. president has set for imposing fresh sanctions on Moscow. Speaking to reporters, Trump also said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now "in the region." Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the U.S. military. The nuclear saber-rattling came against the backdrop of a deadline set by Trump at the end of next week for Russia to take steps towards ending the Ukraine war or face unspecified new sanctions. The Republican leader said Witkoff would visit "I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday." Russian President Vladimir Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow, before Trump's efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt. When reporters asked what Witkoff's message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: "Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed." - 'Secondary tariffs' - Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean "secondary tariffs" targeting Russia's remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption. Despite the pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its onslaught against its pro-Western neighbor. Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said Friday that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his nearly three-and-a-half-year invasion were "unchanged." "We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries," Putin told reporters. But he added that "the conditions (from the Russian side) certainly remain the same." Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable. Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join NATO. Ukraine launched a drone attack Sunday which sparked a fire at an oil depot in Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Kyiv has said it will intensify its air strikes against Russia in response to an increase in Russian attacks on its territory in recent weeks, which have killed dozens of civilians. Russia's Ministry of Defense said on Monday, its air defenses intercepted 61 Ukrainian drones overnight. One person was killed by Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region, Ukraine's military administration said in Telegram post early Monday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said Sunday that the two sides were preparing a prisoner exchange that would see 1,200 Ukrainian troops return home, following talks with Russia in Istanbul in July. Trump began his second term with his own rosy predictions that the war in Ukraine -- raging since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022 -- would soon end. In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with Putin over Moscow's unrelenting offensive.
LBCI
a day ago
- LBCI
Ukrainian drone attack sparks fire at oil depot in Russia's Sochi
More than 120 firefighters were trying to extinguish a blaze at an oil depot in the Russian city of Sochi that was sparked by a Ukrainian drone attack, regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said early on Sunday on the Telegram messaging app. In the Krasnodar region where Sochi is located, a fuel tank with a capacity of 2,000 cubic metres (70,000 cubic feet) was on fire, Russia's RIA news agency reported, citing emergency officials. Reuters
Ya Libnan
2 days ago
- Ya Libnan
Trump is burning bridges with allies, not 'Making America Great Again'
Trump Is Burning Bridges With Allies, Not Making America Great Again By Vlad Green, Op-Ed History has a way of repeating itself—especially when its painful lessons are ignored. Today, President Donald Trump is once again using tariffs as a weapon, punishing nations for political disagreements and attempting to strong-arm trade concessions with threats instead of negotiations. His approach may resonate with a narrow base at home, but it is fracturing long-standing alliances abroad and putting America's global leadership at risk. As he wraps himself in the flag of economic nationalism, Trump forgets—or ignores—that tariffs have consistently backfired throughout American history. One of the first cautionary tales comes from President William McKinley, a staunch protectionist who, in the 1890s, championed high tariffs as a tool to shield American industries. But as the economic and diplomatic backlash grew, McKinley began to regret his position. Before his assassination in 1901, he had changed course, calling for greater international cooperation and freer trade, recognizing that economic isolationism would only harm American prosperity. McKinley's lesson went unheeded three decades later when the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 plunged the world into economic chaos. Enacted just months after the 1929 stock market crash, the tariffs raised duties on over 20,000 imported goods and prompted retaliatory measures from U.S. trading partners. Instead of protecting American jobs, it worsened the Great Depression, slashed global trade, and deepened the suffering of millions. Fast forward to today, and we're seeing history dangerously echo itself. President Trump has turned tariffs into tools of intimidation. With no coherent trade strategy, he threatens Mexico one day, slaps tariffs on Europe the next, and targets Canada—America's closest neighbor and trusted ally—as if it were a rival state. He boasts about 'winning' trade wars, but the reality is rising costs for American consumers, unstable global markets, and fraying relationships with the very nations that stood by the U.S. through thick and thin. It's not just the economic consequences that are alarming. Trump's brand of economic nationalism is wrapped in authoritarian tactics. He surrounds himself with loyalists, fires anyone who questions his decisions, and demands obedience over debate. This is not how a democracy operates. This is not how a civilized world leader behaves. Instead, America under Trump increasingly resembles a transactional bully, not a principled partner. The irony is that Trump claims to be making America great again—yet he is isolating it from the very world order it once led and helped build. From NATO to the World Trade Organization, America's credibility is shrinking as allies question whether they can count on Washington. What started as a promise to bring back manufacturing jobs is morphing into a full-blown foreign policy disaster. The tragedy is avoidable. America doesn't need to abandon its economic interests to remain a global leader. But it must stop using tariffs as threats and allies as bargaining chips. It must return to smart diplomacy, to building coalitions rather than burning bridges, and to leading not through fear, but by example. The world is watching. And history is watching too. The question is not just what Trump will do next—but what price America will ultimately pay for choosing confrontation over cooperation.
