WASHINGTON - When President Joe Biden on Tuesday visits a Lockheed Martin plant that manufactures an antitank weapons system, he’s certain to herald the U.S.-made arms as a game-changer for Ukraine’s stiff resistance to Russia's invasion.But Biden’s planned visit to the Alabama factory line is also drawing attention to a growing concern as the war drags on: Can the U.S.
sustain the cadence in shipping vast amounts of arms to Ukraine while maintaining a healthy stockpile it may need if conflict erupts with North Korea, Iran or elsewhere?The U.S.
has provided at least 7,000 Javelins, including some transferred during the Trump administration, or about one-third of its stockpile, to Ukraine in recent years, according to an analysis by Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies international security program.
The Biden administration says it has committed to sending 5,500 Javelins to Ukraine since the Feb. 24 invasion.Analysts also estimate that the United States has sent about one-quarter of its stockpile of shoulder-fired Stinger missiles to Ukraine.