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Defense Secretary Robert Gates Friday defended the pace at which U.S. resources are reaching Haiti.

"I don't know how this government could have acted faster," Gates said during a press briefing with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen. "There are just some certain facts of life."

Although the U.S. began mobilizing its relief efforts shortly after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake ravaged Haiti, a large portion of supplies slated to be delivered via-boat will not arrive until this weekend.

The defense secretary outlined a number of limitations, including the speed of the vessels, the small size of Haiti's airport and the collapse of the country's infrastructure.

According to both Gates and Mullen, using airdrops to provide necessary resources was rejected early-on in the planning stages. Gates noted that there were concerns that dropping supplies onto the distressed Caribbean nation could lead to riots. Thus far, according to Gates, there has been some level of scavenging for food and water, coupled with minor looting.

By Monday, Haiti is expected to have access to 9,000-10,000 U.S. troops, both on and off-shore. According to Mullen, there is still a possibility that more can be sent as details of the country's status develop.

"We are poised to do that," said Mullen. "[The U.S.] always has a ready brigade."