Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the importance of quantity over quality in defense. The West has traditionally prioritized high-tech military equipment over sheer volume, but this approach may not be effective against a prolonged conflict.
In recent decades, Western militaries have focused on acquiring top-of-the-line gear to compensate for their limited stockpiles. However, experts say that this strategy is flawed. “We’ve been so focused on the quality of our equipment that we haven’t been stockpiling enough weapons for long-duration conflicts,” said retired Australian Army Maj. Gen. Mick Ryan.
The West’s approach has been influenced by its past successes in shorter, more defined conflicts. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a different story altogether. The conflict has shown that having a large number of systems can make all the difference in sustaining and protracting a war.
Western militaries need to shift their focus towards investing in ammunition and lower-value equipment. “You can’t exclusively have highly specialized systems at the expense of regular workhorse stuff,” said George Barros, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War.
To deter Russia and China, NATO defense spending must increase significantly. The West needs to prioritize defense manufacturing while preserving high-value assets. This approach won’t be expensive, as countries like Russia have shown that prioritizing other elements can lead to better results.
The West has made some progress in increasing its defense production, but it is still far from addressing the critical concern of severe backlogs and a lack of manufacturing capacity. The lesson from Ukraine is clear: quantity matters more than quality in defense.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-invasion-west-focused-too-much-weapon-quantity-over-numbers-2024-11