You're viewing a single thread.
Does 'hand to mouth' mean it's being sent away and used as soon as it's produced?
Yup, exactly. Producing just enough to meet your current needs.
or, they're using them up as fast as they can be produced.
It means they are low on this type of weapon. Almost nothing or nothing in store, because it makes usually sense to use them first-in-first-out to have less degrade in storage. If something affects production they are completely out. It's good news.
Yeah, fair points from both of you. If they could produce more, they'd probably still be used as soon as possible.
Well sure as soon as possible, but having a strategic stockpile for flexibility would be ideal. You can maintain pressure while adjusting to the changing battleground as needed.
Yep, that's a more accurate way of putting it. @Pronell@lemmy.world's phrasing made it sound like some well-organized kanban thing. 🤣
Yes, that's exactly it. Their most advanced weaponry is being made and used instantly, as opposed to being drawn down from older stockpiles. This is suggestive that those initial stockplies are gone, and that they're having to use things as fast as they can make them.
It paints a picture that they are struggling to keep up, that they're not capable of further quick escalation, and that they'd be very sensitive to a disruption in the delivery of components required to make these things when they're using them as fast as they can build them.
This also makes them vulnerable if there is any disruption in the supply chain.
Russian cruise missiles were used in combat sometimes just weeks after rolling off the factory floor.