An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Standardized Materiel Could Bolster Ukraine's Defense, Says Official

With the aim of providing long-term support to Ukraine, allies and partners recognize the importance of standardizing systems and munitions, thereby creating more interchangeable and interoperable systems, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William A. LaPlante said.

LaPlante chaired the first meeting of the national armaments directors from member nations of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Sept. 28, in Brussels, Belgium, where the topic was discussed.

Several uniformed service members prepare to jump from an aircraft.
Hercules Airdrop
Troops assigned to the 435th Contingency Response Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, prepare to conduct a static line airdrop from a C-130J Super Hercules, at a landing zone in Koszalin, Poland, Sept. 15, 2022.
Photo By: Air Force Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Spalding
VIRIN: 220915-F-PS661-1091C

Today, he was joined by Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Sasha N. Baker, who also attended the Brussels meeting, to discuss the defense industrial base and long-term security assistance support for Ukraine by allies and partners at a Pentagon press briefing.

LaPlante provided an example of interchangeable parts. The 155 mm artillery rounds for the M-777 (howitzer) produced in different countries should all be interchangeable, he said.

"That's where we need to go in lots of these systems. But it also means we're going to have to agree on standards," he said, meaning standards agreed upon by the Defense Department, allies and partners.

"That's where we would like to potentially go; not for everything, but where it makes sense," he added.

Regarding the Brussels meeting, LaPlante said it resulted in commitments to stand up smaller working groups to work through multinational strategies, to mitigate supply chain constraints, increase production, and work to increase interoperability and interchangeability of systems.

Two service members inspect underneath the wing of an airplane.
Flight Inspectiton
Airmen assigned to the 90th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, conduct post-flight inspections after the jet landed at Lask Air Base, Poland, Sept. 5, 2022.
Photo By: Air Force Staff Sergeant Danielle Sukhlall
VIRIN: 220905-F-ED762-2377

"This frank and open dialogue was exactly what we hoped to see as we went into the meeting. And I'm proud of the collective efforts to support Ukrainians in the long term," he said. "The ability for us to work together across all the nations … to solve challenges is inspiring," he added.

Baker said the level of dialogue and unified action among the participants "really underscores our unwavering global commitment to stand with Ukraine as it defends its sovereignty in the face of Russian aggression."

Regarding standardization, Baker said allies will need to work with Ukraine to get their military hardware to NATO standards and "get them to a place where they can sustain their military and their defensive abilities over the long term. We have to start that now," she said, because of the contracting and production timelines.

She added that the department is in constant conversations with Ukraine about their needs, both short and long-term.

Several sailors, standing in a line, tug on a rope
USS Gunston Hall
Sailors assigned to the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall, handle a mooring line during a scheduled port visit in Gdansk, Poland, Sept. 13, 2022.
Photo By: Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Keith Nowak
VIRIN: 220913-N-PS818-1143

The Russians have sent operators to Iran to learn how to use that natio's unmanned aerial vehicles that they are providing, she mentioned.

The fact that they are seeking help from Iran illustrates desperation on their part, she said. The department believes the Russians are suffering from major supply shortages, in part, because of sanctions and export controls.

"We have seen some evidence already that the UAVs associated with the transfer from Iran have already experienced numerous failures on the battleground," she added.

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group will meet again in Brussels Oct. 12 and 13.

Related Stories