The US military has depleted a significant portion of its highly accurate long-range missile inventory during a five-month conflict with Iran. This has raised concerns regarding the US military’s preparedness for potential future conflicts. Three sources familiar with the matter disclosed this information to Reuters.
According to the sources, the US Army’s surface-to-surface Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) have seen the heaviest usage.
Two sources claimed that “almost the entire stock” of these types of missiles has been utilized. Information regarding such a drastic reduction in US ATACMS and PrSM stockpiles had not previously been made public.
The Reuters report notes that these long-range missiles enable precision strikes from a safe distance and are considered among the US military’s most critical weapons.
US-supplied ATACMS have played a pivotal role in the war in Ukraine, allowing Ukraine to strike various targets deep within Russian territory.
Meanwhile, the PrSM is a more modern, longer-range missile than the ATACMS and is gradually replacing the older system.
Analysts estimate that each missile costs over $1 million, and these weapons could play a crucial role in any potential conflict with China.
However, the sources declined to specify exactly how many ATACMS or PrSM missiles the US currently has remaining.
Concerns rise over prolonged conflict
Last February, US President Donald Trump launched a joint military operation against Iran with Israel. At the time, he anticipated that the conflict would be short-lived.
However, as the war has dragged on, the nation’s missile stockpiles are rapidly depleting. Three individuals familiar with the situation have expressed concern that this could weaken the US’s ability to deter adversaries like Russia and China in the future. Another source indicated that while U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)—responsible for U.S. forces in the Middle East—exhausted nearly all its pre-war stocks of ground-based long-range missiles, fresh supplies were drawn from U.S. military stockpiles located elsewhere in the world.
When asked for comment on the matter, the White House released a statement from President Trump.
Trump stated, “We have far more ammunition than any other country in the world—even more than we need.”
He added that U.S. defense companies are currently producing ammunition at higher volumes than at any time in history, with factory capacity and production capabilities expanding at record rates.
Although defense analysts agree that ammunition production is at record levels, they warn that it may still not be sufficient to sustain a prolonged conflict.
U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) spokesperson Sean Parnell stated, “The United States possesses the world’s most powerful military. We have everything necessary to conduct operations whenever and wherever the President directs. At the same time, we maintain sufficient military capability to protect the nation and its interests.”
Meanwhile, a source indicated that a strategic decision by the Trump administration was a key factor in the depletion of ATACMS and PrSM stockpiles.
Priority was given to using long-range missiles rather than deploying manned fighter jets to bomb Iranian targets, thereby minimizing risk to pilots.
Stockpiles of defensive missiles are also dwindling
A report published last week by the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) revealed that between February and July, the United States utilized approximately 65 percent of the interceptors for its Patriot missile defense systems.
Additionally, stockpiles of interceptors for the THAAD missile defense system have dropped by at least 38 percent since the conflict began. Two sources familiar with the matter indicated that internal government data reflects a similar trend.
Tomahawk missile stockpiles have also decreased
Another source claimed that the United States has used nearly half of its global inventory of Tomahawk cruise missiles since the conflict began; however, Reuters has not been able to independently verify this information. Meanwhile, Raytheon, the manufacturer of the Tomahawk, has reached a multi-year initial production agreement with the US Department of Defense. Through this move, Washington is attempting to replenish rapidly dwindling stockpiles by ramping up the production of various missiles, including the Tomahawk.
