US is facing a massive depletion of its missile arsenal

The scale of losses of high-tech munitions has been so colossal that senior US military leaders are already openly warning of dangerously low stockpiles, CNN reports.

According to estimates by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), at the start of the war with Iran, the US had approximately 2,200 Patriot missiles of the two most advanced modifications and 452 missiles for THAAD.

In addition to air defense systems, the US Army used virtually all of its long-range, high-precision surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles. In particular, the arsenals of ATACMS tactical missile systems and the latest high-precision PrSM (Precision Strike Missile) missiles are almost completely depleted.

The US arsenal of Tomahawk cruise missiles has also been significantly depleted – almost half of the total stockpile was used during the conflict.

The critical scale of the ammunition shortage was the decisive factor that forced the White House to postpone a new wave of strikes against Iran.

According to CSIS analysts, it will take at least three years to restore THAAD stockpiles to pre-war levels. Fully replenishing Patriot missile stockpiles will also take several years due to their long production cycle.

According to delivery schedules for the current fiscal year, the Pentagon is receiving only about 15 new Tomahawk missiles and 20 Patriot missiles per month.

The PrSM and JASSM stockpiles will be restored more quickly and are expected to reach pre-war levels by mid- to late 2027.

This week, the US Department of Defense signed two agreements to expand production of rocket engines for the Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems, but the department declined to specify when the initial results would be achieved.

Photo: U.S. Army.