U.S. focuses on training Ukrainian troops to use less ammo

The U.S. is prioritizing helping the Ukrainians tweak the way they fight, relying less on artillery barrages and more on how the troops maneuver on the battlefield, as concerns mount over Western nations’ ability to replenish ammunition stocks.

The war in Ukraine has been marked by the massive use of artillery by both sides, with thousands of shells smashing into the front lines daily, straining the ability of the U.S. and European countries to keep up.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking to reporters after a meeting in Brussels with other NATO leaders, alluded to the growing concerns in Washington and elsewhere over stockpiles. He said Ukraine has “used a lot of artillery ammunition. We're going to do everything we can, working with our international partners to ensure that we give them as much ammunition as quickly as possible.”

As the U.S. and Europe look for ways to increase their output of shells to keep their own warehouses stocked and supply Ukraine for its warm weather offensives, they are looking at the current training efforts in England and Germany to change how Ukraine moves on the battlefield. Part of that means figuring out ways to fend off Russia without expending too much ammo.

“We are working with the Ukrainian soldiers in various places throughout Europe to emphasize additional training on maneuver,” Austin said, “so that as they place more emphasis on maneuver, and shaping the battlefield with fires and then maneuvering, there's a good chance that they'll require less artillery munitions.”

The U.K., which has already trained 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in infantry tactics, has pledged to train another 20,000 this year with the help of Norway, the Netherlands and other NATO trainers on the ground.

There was some movement on the artillery issue in Tuesday’s Ukraine Defense Contract Group meeting in Brussels, a gathering of defense leaders from over 50 countries who meet once a month to coordinate military aid for Kyiv.

France and Australia have agreed to work together to produce more 155mm munitions, which are the backbone of Ukraine’s newly-acquired Western artillery arsenal.

The U.S. has also scrambled over the past year to increase its own output of 155mm shells, as Ukraine continues to fire thousands of rounds a day, burning through the one million-plus 155mm munitions the U.S. and allies have sent.

The U.S. Army has pledged to triple its monthly output of shells from the prewar total of about 14,000 a month to up to 90,000 a month by 2025.

The dwindling of ammunition stocks aren’t limited to cannon artillery. In recent meetings at the Pentagon, U.S. officials have informed the Kyiv’s representatives that it doesn’t have enough Army Tactical Missile Systems in its warehouses to spare for the Ukrainian military, POLITICO reported Monday.

Transferring the ATACMS, which would more than double the range of current Ukrainian rocket artillery to about 190 miles, would dwindle America’s stockpiles and harm the U.S. military’s readiness for a future fight, the Pentagon has told them.