Missile Stockpile Shrinks in Iran War, Taiwan Defense
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- United States has used 1,100 long‑range stealth cruise missiles—nearly all of the remaining stock in Washington’s inventory—since the Iran war began on Feb. 28.
- United States has fired more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and with a production rate of roughly 100 per year, replacing the expended missiles could take a decade.
- United States has expended over 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles and about 1,000 Precision Strike and ATACMS ground‑based missiles in less than eight weeks.
- CSIS estimates the United States may have used more than half of its pre‑war inventory of at least four key munitions, including Tomahawks.
- Adm. Samuel Paparo told the Senate Armed Services Committee that scaling up production of sophisticated missiles could take one to two years, but “won’t be soon enough” for future conflicts.
- Sen. Jack Reed warned that at current production rates, reconstituting the expended stockpiles could take years.
- White House is expected to request $80‑$100 billion from Congress to replenish depleted munitions, while experts place the war’s cost at $25‑$35 billion so far.
Why it matters: The depletion of the United States’ long‑range missile inventory weakens its capacity to deter or fight a future China‑Taiwan clash, while forcing the Pentagon to seek an $80‑$100 billion congressional appropriation to rebuild the stockpile; meanwhile, Europe and the Indo‑Pacific face reduced readiness as weapons are redirected to the Middle East.
