The U.S. Army plans to request permission to buy more munitions over several years in bulk, with the aim of helping allies refill their inventories and support Ukraine’s defense efforts. The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology stated that the Army is maximizing its approach to purchasing munitions as they do not know how long the conflict will last, and they are unsure of the amount needed to replenish stocks. The Pentagon is also expected to raise peacetime munitions stockpile targets. However, the appropriate size of stockpiles, precursor chemicals, and other raw materials that go into the munitions is under discussion. The U.S. is running low on some high-end weapons systems and ammunition, and donations to Ukraine from its own inventories have not compromised readiness. The U.S. Army has also accelerated its modernization plans for government-sponsored factories that make conventional munitions and is investing in private-sector facilities to accelerate production. The challenge is how much of that capacity can be sustained post-conflict. Pentagon officials are mulling the pre-war requirements and are aware that larger stockpiles mitigate production lead times, but they are expensive to build, maintain and track. The U.S. must strike a balance between industry’s efficiency and affordability and its ability to surge in a crisis.