Trump tried to reassure, arms giant warns
The war with Iran exposed significant depletion in the US military's long-range precision missile stockpiles, and the defense industry warns that replenishing inventories will take years. Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said that even after the start of joint production of ATACMS missiles with Lockheed Martin, it will take years to fill the gaps. US President Donald Trump downplayed concerns but admitted that stocks of certain munitions have been reduced. Maj. Gen. (res.) Eliezer Marom warns of implications for readiness against China.
The war with Iran exposed significant depletion in the US military's long-range precision missile stockpiles, and the defense industry warns that replenishing inventories will take years. The CEO of German arms giant Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, said over the weekend that even after the start of joint production of ATACMS missiles with Lockheed Martin, it will take years to fill the gaps. The remarks come against the backdrop of a Reuters report that the US military consumed a large portion of its long-range precision missile stockpiles during the five months of war with Iran, mainly ATACMS and PrSM missiles. US President Donald Trump downplayed concerns and said the US has nearly unlimited stockpiles of some types of ammunition, though he admitted that stocks of certain munitions have been reduced. Maj. Gen. (res.) Eliezer (Chayni) Marom, former commander of the Navy, explains that the depletion goes beyond the campaign with Iran, as the biggest challenge for the Americans is China, and if the Chinese decide to invade Taiwan, these stockpiles will have great significance. Marom estimates that if the war resumes, the US will be forced to carry out more strikes from the air, which increases the risk of aircraft losses. The Tomahawk missile stockpile has also been significantly depleted, and the US has consumed just under half of its global Tomahawk stockpile. Last month, Rheinmetall and Lockheed Martin signed a memorandum of understanding for joint production of ATACMS in Germany, but the establishment of production facilities is expected to begin only next year. Marom emphasizes that pouring money is not enough, and the depletion will require the US to re-examine the assumptions on which the stockpiles were based. He adds that the lesson is also relevant to Israel, which has severe interceptor problems and low production capacity of Arrow missiles.