US Missiles Running Low: 'Nearly All Used in Iran'
Reuters reports that the US military has depleted a large portion of its long-range precision missile stockpile during the five-month war with Iran, mainly ATACMS and PrSM missiles. Sources expressed concern about the ability to deter Russia and China. The White House responded that the US has "far more ammunition than anyone else in the world." A CSIS report estimates that about 65% of Patriot interceptors have been used, and THAAD stockpiles are at least 38% lower.
The Reuters news agency reported today (Tuesday) that the US military has consumed a large part of its long-range precision missile stockpile during the five-month war with Iran, and concern in the US about readiness for future conflicts is growing. According to two of the sources, these are mainly ground-to-ground missiles (ATACMS) and precision strike missiles (PrSM), and the US has used "almost all" of these weapons. Reuters noted that the extent to which the military's missile stockpile is being depleted has not been previously reported. President Donald Trump opened the war with Iran jointly with Israel at the end of February, predicting the conflict would be short, but as the war drags on, sources express concern that the dwindling missile supply could limit the US ability to deter adversaries, including Russia and China. The White House issued a statement on behalf of Trump, saying the US has "far more ammunition than anyone else in the world" and "far more than we need." Analysts agree that some ammunition is being produced at record levels, but warn that supplies could be far lower than needed for a prolonged war. Last week, the CSIS institute published a report estimating that between February and July, about 65% of Patriot interceptors were used, and the number of THAAD interceptors in US stockpiles is at least 38% lower compared to the start of the war. One source added that the US has also consumed slightly less than half of its global stockpile of Tomahawk cruise missiles since the start of the war.