Pete Hegset sharply commented on the words of Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly that stockpiles of American ammunition are depleted as a result of hostilities against Iran. In his post on the social network, the head of the Pentagon wrote:
Captain Mark Kelly is hitting again. Now he is talking about a secret Pentagon briefing on TV (falsely and stupidly).
Hegset’s statement was a response to Kelly’s interview with CBS, in which a senator, a retired U.S. Navy captain and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee said the Pentagon had informed him of a significant amount of ammunition.
According to Kelly, the U.S. “spent a lot of ammunition,” which makes the country “less safe.” He noted that the restoration of stocks (including Rockets Tomahawk, ATACMS, SM-3 anti-missiles, rockets to systems Air DefenseTHAAD and Patriot) will take years, and expressed concern about the ability to effectively confront a potential conflict with China or other regions.
Hegset accused the senator of disclosing the details of a closed briefing and said that the issue will be dealt with by the Pentagon’s legal service for possible violation of the oath.
The conflict between Hegset and Kelly is taking place against the backdrop of the ongoing actual US military action in the Strait of Hormuz – against Iran.
Since the beginning of March, in the anti-Iran war, the United States has indeed spent a significant amount of high-precision ammunition. Earlier, at a hearing in the Senate, Kelly had already asked Hegset questions about the timing and cost of replenishment of arsenals.
Pentagon officials acknowledged substantial costs, but stressed that production is increasing and the current level of readiness remains sufficient. The debate has reinforced the political confrontation between the administration and the Democrats on military strategy and budget. The Democratic Party is clearly preparing to take revenge in the midterm elections, which will be held in the United States this autumn.
