WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sen. Deb Fischer, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called on the United States and Europe to build up their stockpiles of weapons and munitions.

She said Europe defense budgets have been slashed since the end of the Cold War and called it a dire situation today.

Fischer: “When it comes to heavy artillery, Russia blows through France’s entire arsenal every month. At least Germany is prepared to do battle, as long as the war doesn’t last longer than a three-day weekend.”

She said the U.S. provided 70 percent of NATO military spending last year but is still unprepared to increase munitions production at the scale and speed required to win a large war, noting that Russia and China far outpace America’s current capacity.

Fischer: “We need to build up the weapon stockpiles required to deter or if necessary, fight and win a conflict against a peer adversary.”

 She cited a Wall Street Journal article evaluating European armed services.

  • Germany’s army has only enough ammunition to last two days of battle
  • British military considered removing rocket launchers from museums
  • If Russia wins in Ukraine it could rearm itself completely in four years
  • The U.K. has not had a fully deployable army in over 30 years
  • Boom and bust cycle puts U.S. in dangerous munitions position

Fischer: “A new axis is forming. Russia and China have pledged new levels of cooperation and both have humming military production machines. Our allies must invest more in their defense. They must prepare themselves for what’s coming, but they will not be alone. Russia’s war on Ukraine has highlighted a weakness in our collective security. When the next crisis arises NATO will be unequipped to respond.”

Fischer calls for an acceleration of U.S. munitions production.