Ukrainian forces expend up to 10,000 artillery shells per day. But the U.S. industrial base has struggled to meet Ukrainian demands – or even those of its own Army.  

Hence the U.S. military currently faces a critical shortfall in its ability to produce and adapt conventional munitions at the scale required for a major power conflict.  

Despite a stated goal to produce 100,000 155mm artillery rounds per month by October 2025, the Army achieved only 36,000 rounds per month as of March 2026. 

Combat Air System (FCAS) program involving a sixth-generation stealth fighter had been terminated.  

The decision was hardly surprising, as the EUR100 billion ($115 billion) project had fallen victim to industrial workshare, intellectual property rights, and program leadership disputes.

Adding to these disagreements on the industrial side were the differences between the three partner nations (which included Spain) regarding operational requirements, with France seeking a carrier-capable aircraft with nuclear-deterrence mission capabilities, which diverged from the German military’s needs.   

For many observers, the handwriting had been on the wall for some time and all that remained was for the leaders of France and Germany to reach a common conclusion to terminate the endeavor. 

On June 30, the Labor-led British government unveiled its long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP), involving a four-year GBP298 billion ($398.5 billion) spending roadmap aimed at modernizing the armed forces to prepare for current and future contingencies.  

The overall spending plan includes an additional GBP15 billion ($20 billion) in top-up funding that – while it looks great in a press release and government document – in actuality consists of GBP11.4 billion in “new money” (the remainder is leftover Ministry of Defence (MoD) funding being shifted from elsewhere to the DIP). The cumulative GBP15 billion figure is less than what former secretary of state for defence, John Healey, had argued was needed.