As Ukraine uses up ammunition quickly, allies scramble to restock warehouses

 

As Ukraine uses up ammunition¹ quickly, allies scramble² to restock warehouses³

Transcript⁴

As the war in Ukraine approaches the end of its first year, NATO allies face a challenge to keep the Ukrainian army supplied with weapons and ammunition — as their own stocks dwindle⁵.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

As the war approaches its first anniversary, the Ukrainian army continues to use ammunition at a blistering⁶ pace. NATO allies are now scrambling⁷ to restock their warehouses for a major war in Europe no one planned for. NPR's Frank Langfitt reports on one of the war's challenges from London, Brussels and Paris.

FRANK LANGFITT, BYLINE⁸: To appreciate the pace at which Ukraine is consuming ammunition, consider this. The Ukrainian army is firing 155 mm artillery⁹ shells so quickly that it would consume Britain's entire stock in just eight days. That's according to an analysis based on public data. Jack¹⁰ Watling is the senior researcher for land warfare¹¹ at the Royal United Services Institute, a London think tank.

JACK WATLING: There are real concerns across NATO about our ability in the long term to sustain the extent to which the Ukrainians are using artillery. They are burning through ammunition very quickly, faster than we're manufacturing it.

LANGFITT: That heavy demand is stretching NATO allies. Estonia, which was once part of the Soviet¹² Union, provided arms to Ukraine even before Russia's invasion. Juri Luik serves as Estonia's ambassador to NATO in Brussels.

JURI LUIK: We were providing them with howitzers, with Javelins¹³. We have spent roughly 40% of our defense¹⁴ spending in supporting Ukraine.

LANGFITT: Rudiger Konig, Germany's ambassador to NATO, says his country's warehouses are pretty empty, and he's worried Ukraine could run short of critical weapons - in particular, surface-to-air missiles, which are crucial for shooting down Russian missiles and drones. Target everything from energy infrastructure¹⁵ to ammunition depots¹⁶.

RUDIGER KONIG: Denying air superiority until the very moment we speak is an important element of defending Ukraine. So it would have consequences.

LANGFITT: That's Brussels diplomatic speak for if the Russians finally gain air superiority, Ukraine is in deep trouble. Morten Brandtzaeg is CEO of Nammo, short for Nordic Ammunition Company. He says dwindling¹⁷ NATO stocks are driving a lot of purchases. They include a $260 million order from the Norwegian military for artillery shells.

MORTEN BRANDTZAEG: The demand for our products is 10 to 20 times bigger. We have never seen this. It's unheard of in our part of the defense industry.

LANGFITT: But Jack Watling, the London military analyst¹⁸, says the weapon squeeze is connected to supply as well.

WATLING: We've been fighting the war on terror for 20 years. And during that period, the idea of, you know, using massed artillery fire to destroy enemy maneuver¹⁹ units was irrelevant²⁰. The problem is that we've got rid of our industrial base.

LANGFITT: After the breakup of the Soviet Union, no one expected a major land war in Europe. Many heavy weapon production lines closed. Camille Grand recently retired²¹ from NATO as head of defense investment.

CAMILLE GRAND: The Europeans tended to really reduce their stockpiles, and you had shrinking inventories²² everywhere, which were not meant to fight a war of the type we're seeing in Ukraine.

LANGFITT: Nammo, the Norwegian arms company, has plants in Europe and the U.S., including Scranton and Salt Lake City. Makes everything from rocket motors to shoulder launch missiles and bullets, like these, which are manufactured in the factory - a two-hour drive north of Oslo. But Brandtzaeg says companies can't just flick²³ the lights back on and triple production.

BRANDTZAEG: We are talking about building new production lines. It's about hiring more people, building more robots, automating²⁴ the production. And this takes time.

LANGFITT: And as Camille Grand points out, making missiles is complicated.

GRAND: You do need a lot of different subcomponents. You need to make sure that none of them, whether you're talking about microelectronics or energetics, are in shortages. We're talking about weapons systems that can take two months to produce.

LANGFITT: No one knows how long this war will last, and that can be tricky²⁵ for business planning. Again, Morten Brandtzaeg of Nammo.

BRANDTZAEG: We need concrete orders, and they need to be on more than a single-year buy.

LANGFITT: If you were to open up a bunch of new production lines based on the demand and then that demand dropped off, what could happen financially to your company?

BRANDTZAEG: This is a very big risk. You could actually end up with some of the companies going bankrupt.

LANGFITT: NATO allies are now working to make bulk orders for heavy weapons. Julianne Smith is the U.S. ambassador to NATO.

JULIANNE SMITH: We are regularly convening²⁶ armaments directors and meeting with the private sector²⁷ to figure out, for example, how fast you can get production lines turned back on for some of the capabilities²⁸ that have been delivered and how NATO allies could come together to make pooled or multinational²⁹ buys.

LANGFITT: Some European countries are hunting for deals all over. Tomasz Szatkowski is Poland's ambassador to NATO. We chatted over tea one evening at his home in Brussels.

TOMASZ SZATKOWSKI: We've ordered whatever we could from our defense industry. It is running well over its 100% capacity right now. But we have to look beyond Poland.

LANGFITT: To countries such as the U.S., where Poland plans to buy $10 billion in weapons, including 18 HIMAR rocket systems, and South Korea.

SZATKOWSKI: Altogether, 1,000 tanks are going to be procured³⁰ from Korea. Several hundred of self-propelled howitzers, three squadrons of light attack aircraft, 230 heavy missile launchers. This is perhaps the most significant armament deal in recent history between Europe and East Asia.

LANGFITT: And Jack Watling, the analyst in London, says meeting Ukraine's demand for arms could have implications beyond Europe.

WATLING: In order to provide for this year, we are going to eat into our own war stocks very, very substantially. And if we don't have the industrial base to start replacing those war stocks, then if you're China and you're contemplating³¹ Taiwan, the calculus³² starts to shift. If we don't fix the industrial problem, we present our adversaries³³ with those questions and opportunities.

LANGFITT: Which is why Watling says NATO allies need to rebuild industrial capacity quickly and meet Ukraine's need for weapons for as long as it takes.

Frank Langfitt, NPR News, Paris.

(SOUNDBITE OF KIASMOS' "HELD")

 

1 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

2 scramble   

v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料

参考例句：

• He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
• It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。

3 warehouses   

仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee. 威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• Row upon row of newly built warehouses line the waterfront. 江岸新建的仓库鳞次栉比。

4 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

5 dwindle   

v.逐渐变小（或减少）

参考例句：

• The factory's workforce has dwindled from over 4,000 to a few hundred.工厂雇员总数已经从4,000多人减少到几百人。
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority.他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。

6 blistering   

adj.酷热的；猛烈的；使起疱的；可恶的v.起水疱；起气泡；使受暴晒n.[涂料] 起泡

参考例句：

• The runners set off at a blistering pace. 赛跑运动员如脱缰野马般起跑了。
• This failure is known as preferential wetting and is responsible for blistering. 这种故障称为优先吸湿，是产生气泡的原因。 来自辞典例句

7 scrambling   

v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

9 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

10 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

11 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

12 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

13 javelins   

n.标枪( javelin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The heavy infantry blocks moved forward, throwing javelins just before the clash. 在正面交火之前，庞大的兵团会整体向前移动并投掷标枪。 来自互联网
• Elite mercenaries, originally from Aragon, armed with javelins and light armour. 加泰罗尼亚标枪兵为精锐雇佣部队，最初来自阿拉贡，装备标枪和轻甲。 来自互联网

14 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

15 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

16 depots   

仓库( depot的名词复数 )； 火车站； 车库； 军需库

参考例句：

• Public transportation termini and depots are important infrastructures for a city. 公交场站设施是城市重要的基础设施。
• In the coastal cities are equipped with after-sales service and depots. 在各沿海城市均设有服务部及售后维修站。

17 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

18 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

19 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

20 irrelevant   

adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的

参考例句：

• That is completely irrelevant to the subject under discussion.这跟讨论的主题完全不相关。
• A question about arithmetic is irrelevant in a music lesson.在音乐课上，一个数学的问题是风马牛不相及的。

21 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

22 inventories   

n.总结( inventory的名词复数 )；细账；存货清单（或财产目录）的编制

参考例句：

• In other cases, such as inventories, inputs and outputs are both continuous. 在另一些情况下，比如存货，其投入和产出都是持续不断的。
• The store must clear its winter inventories by April 1st. 该店必须在4月1日前售清冬季存货。

23 flick   

n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动

参考例句：

• He gave a flick of the whip.他轻抽一下鞭子。
• By a flick of his whip,he drove the fly from the horse's head.他用鞭子轻抽了一下，将马头上的苍蝇驱走。

24 automating   

（使）自动化( automate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Have you ever thought about automating any part of your business? 你有没有想过把你公司的某个部门自动化？
• We are in process of automating the production department. 我们正在对生产部门实行自动化。

25 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

26 convening   

召开( convene的现在分词 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without sounding an alarm. 民10:7但招聚会众的时候、们要吹号、不要吹出大声。
• We warmly welcome the convening of Asia-Europe meeting in London. 热烈欢迎亚欧会议在伦敦召开。

27 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

28 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

29 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

30 procured   

v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条

参考例句：

• These cars are to be procured through open tender. 这些汽车要用公开招标的办法购买。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• A friend procured a position in the bank for my big brother. 一位朋友为我哥哥谋得了一个银行的职位。 来自《用法词典》

31 contemplating   

深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想

参考例句：

• You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
• She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。

32 calculus   

n.微积分；结石

参考例句：

• This is a problem where calculus won't help at all.对于这一题，微积分一点也用不上。
• After studying differential calculus you will be able to solve these mathematical problems.学了微积分之后，你们就能够解这些数学题了。

33 adversaries   

n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• That would cause potential adversaries to recoil from a challenge. 这会迫使潜在的敌人在挑战面前退缩。 来自辞典例句
• Every adversaries are more comfortable with a predictable, coherent America. 就连敌人也会因有可以预料的，始终一致的美国而感到舒服得多。 来自辞典例句