"The Javelin, produced by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, has gained an iconic role in Ukraine — the shoulder-fired, precision-guided anti-tank missile has been indispensable in combating Russian tanks. But production in the U.S. is low at a rate of around 800 per year, and Washington has now sent some 8,500 to Ukraine, according to the CSIS — more than a decades' worth of production."
"The Pentagon has ordered hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of new Javelins, but ramping up takes time — the numerous suppliers that provide the chemicals and computer chips for each missile can't all be sufficiently sped up.
It could take between one and four years for the U.S. to boost overall weapons production significantly, Cancian said."
What this means for Ukrainian forces is that some of their most crucial battlefield equipment – like the 155 mm howitzer – is having to be replaced with older and less optimum weaponry like the 105 mm howitzer, which has a smaller payload and a shorter range. Some of the weapons that are running low are no longer being produced, and highly skilled labor and experience are required for their production — things that have been in short supply across the U.S. manufacturing sector for years.
All wasted on a lost cause.