Premium weapons systems sent to Ukraine could become useless on the battlefield because of the Pentagon's "lack of foresight" in making a maintenance plan for Ukrainian troops, according to a Department of Defense watchdog agency report.
Inspector General Robert Storch on Tuesday also cautioned that sustaining Kyiv's armored vehicles could damage the U.S. Army's own combat readiness, Stars and Stripes reported.
"The lack of foresight in this matter is concerning, and should be rectified promptly," Storch stated, adding that DOD is now developing a plan.
Continued reliance on existing U.S. Army stocks "may require a choice between continued support for Ukraine and meeting the minimum readiness requirements for U.S. Army units," one unnamed senior Army official told the IG, the outlet reported.
Not having maintenance requirements for the weapons systems provided to Ukraine also prevents DOD from predicting costs or assessing the impacts for U.S. military units operating those systems, Storch said.
Storch's report said the Pentagon may need to commit more resources "at significant cost" to taxpayers or risk the ability to perform other U.S. missions, the outlet reported.
According to Stripes, the IG issued joint reports: one detailing problems associated with hundreds of armored vehicles issued to Ukraine, and one examining issues related to Patriot air defense systems provided.
Both concluded that without an effective sustainment strategy, Ukraine's military won't develop the knowledge needed to maintain the equipment — and ultimately won't be able to use the hardware once U.S. sustainment support ends.
The grim findings come amid uncertainty about the durability of American political support for defending Ukraine from Russia.
A funding logjam has already halted delivery of new U.S. weaponry to Ukraine even as Russian forces gain new ground.
The IG's recommendations include that an action plan be developed in the coming weeks; DOD generally concurred with the findings, Stripes reported.
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