NATO's Munition Challenge - Costs, Recent Lessons & Rebuilding Magazine Depth

Video Description

Sponsored by: Private Internet Access: https://www.piavpn.com/Perun From the Red Sea to the War in Ukraine, it's been demonstrated that the US and many NATO states can produce high-quality munitions. What isn't clear is that they can produce them in sufficient quantities, or at low enough prices, to meet the demands of a deteriorating security environment and rising focus on conventional deterrence against peer and near-peer competitors. In this episode I look into how many Western munitions became so expensive, what strategic risks that creates, and some of the methods nations might use to rebuild their stocks without destroying their national budgets in the process. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PerunAU Reading and Sourcing (to be updated due to late release): USN Missile pricing per: https://www.twz.com/sea/what-the-navys-ship-launched-missiles-actually-cost ERAM RFP - OT Solicitation Number: FA8682-24-R-0014 https://govtribe.com/file/government-file/fa868224cs001-eram-spiral-rfp-17-july-2024-dot-pdf USN Weapon Procurement (including SM-3) https://www.secnav.navy.mil/fmc/fmb/Documents/24pres/WPN_Book.pdf GAO on Abrams Operating Costs (1991) https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-91-114.pdf RUSI - Silicon Lifeline https://static.rusi.org/RUSI-Silicon-Lifeline-final-updated-web_1.pdf ERAM, MACE, ETV & FAMM: https://breakingdefense.com/2025/03/anduril-and-zone-5-technologies-advance-for-air-force-diu-enterprise-test-vehicle/ https://www.twz.com/air/air-forces-cheap-and-fast-to-produce-long-range-missile-is-being-built-for-ukraine https://www.twz.com/air/cheap-long-range-cruise-missile-designs-to-be-tested-by-air-force Gray Wolf https://www.twz.com/32669/air-forces-gray-wolf-program-tests-game-changing-small-low-cost-jet-engine Cleaver https://www.wpafb.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2198566/afrl-afsoc-launch-palletized-weapons-from-cargo-plane/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2020/06/03/why-us-air-forces-cleaver-is-a-new-type-of-bomb/ https://www.twz.com/33716/air-force-unveils-first-test-of-arsenal-plane-concept-and-new-cleaver-munition US Munitions Expenditures in Red Sea https://www.twz.com/news-features/navy-just-disclosed-how-many-of-each-of-its-surface-to-air-missiles-it-fired-during-red-sea-fight https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/us/politics/us-strikes-yemen-houthis.html https://www.twz.com/news-features/u-s-air-campaign-against-houthis-continues-into-third-day Standard Missile Production & Contracts https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/06/raytheon-missiles-defense-gets-867-million-contract-for-sm-3-block-iia/ https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2025/01/15/raytheon-aims-to-boost-sm-3-missile-production-rates/ JSM for USAF F-35 https://www.twz.com/air/usaf-f-35s-are-officially-getting-joint-strike-cruise-missiles-that-fit-in-their-bays APKWS & APKWS II https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/baes-apkws-rockets-go-to-war-on-av-8b-harrier/120146.article https://www.twz.com/air/f-16s-with-larger-laser-guided-rocket-loads-drone-kill-marking-emerge-over-middle-east https://www.twz.com/air/air-launched-laser-guided-rockets-shown-shooting-down-houthi-drones-for-first-time Barracuda https://www.airandspaceforces.com/anduril-unveils-new-low-cost-cruise-missiles/ https://theaviationist.com/2024/09/13/anduril-unveils-barracuda-family-of-autonomous-air-vehicles/ CMMT https://www.twz.com/air/lockheeds-low-cost-cruise-missile-truck-is-now-in-testing JASSM/LRASM: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/lockheed-jassm-lrasm-missiles-contract-extreme-range/ Caveats & Comments: All normal caveats and comments apply. In particular – I would like to note as always that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete or comprehensive examination of the topic in question and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other similar decisions. Any content relating to the conduct, views, activities or any aspect of any person or character in this video is included for entertainment purposes and does not represent an assertion of fact on those matters or any matters in relation to that person or character. Care has been taken in compiling data, quotes, and other inputs from various sources but errors can occur. Quotes and included data should be considered illustrative, not definitive and their veracity should not be relied on. Timestamps: 00:00:00 — Opening Words 00:01:19 — What Am I Talking About? 00:03:37 — the Cost Problem 00:12:18 — Nuances 00:15:13 — Meeting Demand? 00:22:17 — Conversion 00:37:58 — Scaling Down 00:47:22 — Technology Substitution 00:50:04 — Industry 00:55:10 — the Risk 00:56:58 — Teaming 01:00:34 — Channel Update