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Fields of fire

Independent:

US forces have fired so many bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan - an estimated 250,000 for every insurgent killed - that American ammunition-makers cannot keep up with demand. As a result the US is having to import supplies from Israel.

A government report says that US forces are now using 1.8 billion rounds of small-arms ammunition a year. The total has more than doubled in five years, largely as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as changes in military doctrine.

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A report in Manufacturing & Technology News said that the Pentagon eventually found two producers capable of meeting its requirements. One of these was the US firm Olin-Winchester.

The other was Israel Military Industries, an Israeli ammunition manufacturer linked to the Israeli government, which produces the bulk of weapons and ordnance for the Israeli Defence Force.

The Pentagon reportedly bought 313 million rounds of 5.56mm, 7.62mm and 50-calibre ammunition last year and paid $10m (about £5.5m) more than it would have cost for it to produce the ammunition at its own facilities.

The story omits the reason why so many rounds of ammunition are used by US forces. Shots are not fired randomly or willy-nilly. For example in defensive positions troops are placed so that the bullets from their rifles criss-cross infront of the perimeter making it extremely difficult to attack without being killed. The tactic has been used for some time. It was used to stop the Chicom human wave attacks in Korea as well as communist attacks in Vietnam. It may use a lot of rounds, but they are not wasted, they save US lives and they thwart the enemy, which has not had a succussful attack against a position defended by US forces.