[Epoch Times, 09 May 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Chen Ting comprehensive report) Lockheed Martin (Lockheed Martin) CEO James Taiclet (James Taiclet) said the company is planning to use the Javelin missile Production capacity has been nearly doubled to ensure that U.S. military inventories are not depleted.
The 49-pound (22-kilogram) man-portable missile has become Ukraine’s key weapon against Russian aggression, allowing them to strike Russian tanks from 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) away and flee quickly. In an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday (May 8), Tecklet said they are working to improve the supply chain to increase production of the Javelin missile.
“Right now, our capacity is 2,100 Javelin missiles a year,” Tecklet said. “We’re trying to get that number up to 4,000 a year, and it’s going to take months, maybe years, because it’s going to take Supply chain coordination. If we do that, we think we can nearly double our production capacity within a reasonable time.”
One way to improve supply chains, Tecklet said, is through the Bipartisan Innovation Act, which would boost domestic microprocessor design and manufacturing and reduce reliance on foreign supplies.
He added that each Javelin missile requires about 250 microprocessors. Lockheed is negotiating with partners such as Intel Corp. to support the needs of the defense industry.
Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden toured the Javelin missile factory in Alabama and urged Congress to authorize $33 billion in additional aid for Ukraine.
Experts and members of Congress have warned that the U.S. Army and Marine Corps’ stockpiles of anti-tank weapons are depleting due to the Russian-Ukrainian war. (learn more)
William A. LaPlante, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for procurement and armaments, also said that the intense fighting in the Russian-Ukrainian war over the past few weeks underscores the intensity of conventional conflicts in the 21st century. This unprecedented demand for weapons “truly exceeds anything we’ve seen in recent memory,” he said. (learn more)
Last week, a senior defense official said the White House had promised Ukraine 5,500 Javelin missiles and about 5,000 had been delivered.
Responsible editor: Ye Ziwei#