Pentagon wants to replace depleted bombs with billions of dollars - Bloomberg

The US Department of Defense plans to request more than $300 billion for weapons procurement and research and development efforts in the upcoming fiscal year, Bloomberg reported on Saturday. The spending will focus on replacing the munitions sent to Ukraine and enhancing the US' ability to fight China. The Pentagon is seeking a total of $170 billion for new arms, including $76.8 billion for the Navy and Marines, $61 billion for the Air and Space Force, and $15.7 billion for the Army. The Pentagon also wants to boost its stock of long-range missiles, which would be critical in the event of a direct military confrontation with China, and $145 billion for research and development projects. The documents are scheduled for release on Monday, according to Bloomberg while the new fiscal year starts on October 1.The Pentagon's reported requests come after US President Joe Biden's administration published a budget proposal on Thursday that would entail defense spending increasing by 3.2% to $842 billion in 2024, with $6 billion pledged to Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly warned both the US and its NATO allies that supplying Kiev with arms would only prolong the conflict while making the bloc a direct participant in the hostilities.