Iran war has depleted nearly all of some key US missile stockpiles: Reports
The U.S. is reportedly burning through some of its most advanced missiles faster than it can replace them as the war with Iran continues. According to multiple reports, the U.S. has used nearly its entire global stockpile of some long-range precision missiles since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28.
Sources told CBS News the military has fired virtually all of its army tactical missile systems, along with its newer precision strike missiles. Reuters reports the Pentagon’s latest assessment also shows Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot air defense missiles are being used faster than they can be replaced.
The report says the U.S. has expended about 80% of its THAAD interceptors and roughly half of its Patriot missiles.
In July, the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that before the war began, the U.S. had 2,330 Patriot missiles and 452 THAAD interceptors. By the end of July, those numbers were down to between 759 and 827 Patriot missiles and between 234 and 278. THAADs. A different CSIS report published in May estimates it could take until at least mid-2029 to return to pre-war inventory levels for both.
Pentagon pushes back
The Pentagon, however, is pushing back on any suggestion the military is running short.
“America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the president’s choosing,” Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell told CBS in a statement. “We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. Military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also dismissed concerns about the U.S. stockpile in the past.
“That is a manufactured story that the media wants to peddle and ultimately our stockpiles are great, and they’re only getting stronger,” Hegseth said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” in June.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
