The United States military has consumed nearly half of several of its most critical missile stockpiles during seven weeks of war with Iran, creating what analysts describe as a “near-term risk” of ammunition
shortfalls should another major conflict arise in the coming years, CNN reported citing a new independent analysis and three people familiar with recent internal Defense Department assessments.
The findings present a significant long-term challenge for US military planners even as the immediate operational picture in the Middle East remains manageable. The Pentagon has dismissed concerns about its current combat readiness but experts and congressional voices have raised alarms about the broader strategic implications .
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The US military has expended at least 45% of its stockpile of Precision Strike Missiles and nearly 50% of its Patriot air defense interceptors during the Iran conflict, according to a new analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. At least half of America’s inventory of THAAD missiles- systems designed to intercept ballistic missiles- has also been consumed, the report found.
The US military has additionally expended approximately 30% of its Tomahawk cruise missile stockpile, more than 20% of its long-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles and approximately 20% of its SM-3 and SM-6 naval missiles. Those figures closely align with classified Pentagon stockpile assessments reviewed by people familiar with the data.
Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and co-author of the CSIS report, said, “The high munitions expenditures have created a window of increased vulnerability in the western Pacific. It will take one to four years to replenish these inventories and several years after that to expand them to where they need to be.”
Can US Still Fight Iran?
For the immediate conflict, the answer is yes. The US military likely retains enough bombs and missiles to sustain combat operations against Iran in any scenario, should the current fragile ceasefire collapse, the CSIS analysis concludes. The more pressing concern is what comes after. The number of critical munitions remaining in US stockpiles is no longer considered sufficient to confront a near-peer adversary- the Pentagon’s term for a military rival of comparable power such as China- and analysts say it will likely take years before inventories return to pre-war levels.
What Is Pentagon Saying?
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the military “has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing.”
“Since President Trump took office, 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,” Parnell said.
