US warns Europe of delays in arms deliveries due to stock shortages
The United States has warned its European partners of possible delays in fulfilling previously signed arms supply contracts due to the depletion of defence stocks.
This is reported by Censor.NET, citing Reuters.
According to available information, this concerns the supply of arms purchased under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme but not yet shipped to customers. US officials have not yet commented on the situation.
Reasons for delays and the strain on the defence industry
According to sources, the US defence industry is operating at full capacity due to a sharp rise in demand for weapons. The depletion of stocks is linked to conflicts and large-scale military deliveries in recent years.
In particular, following the outbreak of intense hostilities in various regions of the world, the US has significantly increased its use of interceptor missiles, including for Patriot systems. Some of these munitions are also critical for defending Ukraine against missile attacks.
Regular air strikes in the Middle East, where missiles and drones are actively deployed, are placing additional pressure on stocks. This is forcing the US to reallocate resources among its allies.
"The American defence industry cannot keep up with the consistently high demand," sources note.
Consequences for allies and defence contracts
It is expected that the delays may affect the Nordic and Baltic countries the most, as they are actively modernising their defence capabilities.
The issue of arms supplies is also being discussed in the context of strengthening Ukraine’s air defence. In particular, this involves accelerating the transfer of missiles for the IRIS-T systems and for F-16 fighter jets under separate defence agreements with European manufacturers.
Some experts note that the situation highlights a growing shortage of high-tech air defence systems on the global market.
