The U.S. Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed concerns about ammunition shortages while calling for an overhaul of how the military buys technology.
“The munitions issue has been foolishly and unhealthfully overstated,” Hegseth said. “We know exactly what we have, we have plenty of what we need.”
The concern about munitions stems from outside studies.
Hegseth assured committee members that the U.S. military remains ready for other global threats as it navigates the current conflict with Iran.
“Even in the conduct of the conflict, working with the chairman [Dan Caine] and Admiral [Brad] Cooper ensuring that any munitions we're using where we know what we're trading off of to preserve capabilities, we have maximum optionality across the globe, which we do," Hegseth said.
Hegseth further stated that any current supply tension is not the fault of the current Iran conflict but an inherited problem within the department.
“The reason we're accelerating a lot of this is because the department's been static in how it does this kind of business … not to mention the amount that was given to Ukraine for years and years,” he said.
Under President Donald Trump's administration, the United States has halted military aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Hegseth was flanked by Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Dan Caine, who used the opportunity to honor the fallen in Operation Epic Fury.
Fourteen have died in the Iran conflict, according to Caine.
"I would also like to express my deep gratitude for the forty members of the Joint Force who we've lost in operations, combat and training during my time as chairman, including 14 who passed during Operation Epic Fury and our most recent loss, First Lieutenant Key who valiantly gave his life trying to save a teammate while deployed on a temporary duty assignment in Africa," Caine said.
Caine's current tenure began in April 2025.
While acknowledging that global risk is increasing and that the U.S. military is operating in a delicate and dangerous time, Caine also affirmed that the armed forces are organized, trained, and equipped to execute the most demanding missions across the globe with unrivaled precision.
“Over the last year, our war fighters have consistently demonstrated exactly what it means to be the most capable, adaptable and professional military on Earth,” he added.