The concern is the rate at which SM-3 missiles and other ordnances, including the SM-2 and SM-6, are now being fired. The U.S. is now depleting its stockpiles faster than the missiles can be replaced, and that has raised alarms.
For the Stinger, and I’m sure a huge number of other cold-war era military equipment it’s not, and of course that is a systemic problem for the US Military. But the missiles they are launching from destroyers are in active production, so the lack of knowledge problem doesn’t exist there.
The question is about scaling production up significantly which would require an existing pool of qualified people. Given the miserly amounts the US is capable of producing currently, it’s not a given that this can be scaled up easily.
I agree. But it’s also not a given that the US despite it’s huge amount of resources, people, historical investment, and fiat currency can only produce 12 missiles a year and that is the hard limit without impossible investment.
What I’m saying is that you can’t just flip a switch and scale that up overnight. It’s going to be a process, and these things always take a lot longer than people anticipate. Consider how the US is still incapable of ramping up shell production for Ukraine after nearly three years of war. Producing artillery shells is much simpler than missiles, and yet despite billions having been poured in, there’s little to show for the effort.
Here’s the thing though, these skills aren’t present in the current workforce. Here’s a perfect example for you https://www.popsci.com/technology/stinger-missiles-raytheon-ukraine/
For the Stinger, and I’m sure a huge number of other cold-war era military equipment it’s not, and of course that is a systemic problem for the US Military. But the missiles they are launching from destroyers are in active production, so the lack of knowledge problem doesn’t exist there.
The question is about scaling production up significantly which would require an existing pool of qualified people. Given the miserly amounts the US is capable of producing currently, it’s not a given that this can be scaled up easily.
I agree. But it’s also not a given that the US despite it’s huge amount of resources, people, historical investment, and fiat currency can only produce 12 missiles a year and that is the hard limit without impossible investment.
What I’m saying is that you can’t just flip a switch and scale that up overnight. It’s going to be a process, and these things always take a lot longer than people anticipate. Consider how the US is still incapable of ramping up shell production for Ukraine after nearly three years of war. Producing artillery shells is much simpler than missiles, and yet despite billions having been poured in, there’s little to show for the effort.