April 27, 2022- 8:47 p.m.
Biden to Visit Lockheed Martin Facility in Alabama
The White House said Wednesday (April 27) that President Biden will visit a Lockheed Martin facility in Alabama next week that is producing Javelin anti-tank missiles systems, which the US has been shipping to Ukraine.
Biden’s planned trip highlights the administration’s focus on arming Ukraine, and it comes amid concerns about the supply of Javelins.
The US first started sending Javelins to Ukraine during the Trump administration in what at the time was considered a significant escalation in US military support for Kyiv.
It’s estimated that at this point, the US has given Ukraine about one-third of its Javelin stockpile.
The anti-tank weapons are a joint project between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, and they continue to be in high demand as the US is vowing to increase military aid to Ukraine.
The US has also sent Ukraine thousands of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, which are solely produced by Raytheon, the former employer of Biden’s Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Raytheon has said it will not be able to produce Stingers for a few more years due to material shortages, prompting members of Congress to call for President Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act.
If invoked, the Defense Production Act would allow US arms manufacturers to get first priority of materials it needs over other domestic manufacturers.
