Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks told reporters Tuesday she plans to participate in a classified roundtable with defense CEOs on Wednesday to discuss “what can we do to help them, what do they need to generate supply.”
Another official of the US Department of Defense told the profile resource Defense News: “We will discuss industry proposals to accelerate production of existing systems and develop new, modernized capabilities critical to the Department’s ongoing security assistance to Ukraine and long-term readiness of U.S. and ally/partner forces”.
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Companies such as Raytheon and Lockheed Martin will be the first to be involved in the discussion. A Raytheon-Lockheed Martin joint venture makes Javelin anti-tank missiles, while Raytheon produces Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. The Stingers are in low-rate production and are facing obsolescence, therefore, it requires updating.
Kathleen Hicks said the Biden administration is in a “continuing dialogue” with Ukrainian officials over the types of weapons it plans to send. “Yes, we will continue to look at the type of capabilities that the Ukrainians are asking for in terms of how to give them more range and distance,” - added Deputy Defense Secretary.
Hicks also stressed that while Ukraine is a priority, the need to increase the production of certain types of weapons in the long run may reveal vulnerabilities in the supply chain that must be remedied, primarily to maintain supplies for the U.S. military.
Read more: What Are Real Ukraine’s Military Needs Like?
