250,000 Bullets per Iraqi Insurgent
US forces have fired so many bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan – an estimated 250,000 for every insurgent killed – that American ammunition-makers cannot keep up with demand. As a result the US is having to import ammunitionfrom Israel.
The GAO report notes that the three government-owned, contractor-operated plants that produce small- and medium-calibre ammunition were built in 1941. Though millions of dollars have been spent on upgrading the facilities, they remain unable to meet current munitions needs in their current state. “The government-owned plant producing small-calibre ammunition cannot meet the increased requirements, even with modernisation efforts,” said the report.
The Pentagon reportedly bought 313 million rounds of 5.56mm, 7.62mm and 50-calibre ammunition last year and paid $10m (about £5.5m) more than it would have cost for it to produce the ammunition at its own facilities.
So 250,000 per insurgent? That’s a lot of ammo…
Source: The Independent.
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