US Depleted Long-Range Missiles in Iran, Ukraine Wars
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- Reuters reports the U.S. has burned through 'virtually all' of its ATACMS and PrSM long-range precision strike missiles during the Iran war, with sources declining to specify exact remaining numbers.
- CSIS estimated the U.S. has fewer than 827 Patriot missiles and fewer than 278 THAAD ballistic missile interceptors in current stockpiles.
- Ukraine weapons transfers since 2022 depleted munitions faster than they could be replaced, including Patriot interceptors and an unspecified number of ATACMS supplied to Kyiv.
- Trump, Hegseth, and Waltz have repeatedly denied the U.S. is running low on critical munitions despite the mounting stockpile evidence.
- The Pentagon awarded RTX a $441 million contract for older PAC-2 Patriot missiles (not ordered in decades) and has asked Ford, GM, and Oshkosh to consider manufacturing weapons, alongside an $18.2 billion replenishment budget request.
- A U.S. official told the Washington Post last month there weren't enough munitions to sustain Middle East operations, adding 'I don't think the White House is aware of that.'
Why it matters: The U.S. now faces a munitions shortfall — fewer than 827 Patriots and 278 THAAD interceptors — with depletion that began with Ukraine arms transfers since 2022 and deepened sharply during the Iran war, while officials publicly deny the crisis and replacements take years to build, forcing the Pentagon to revive decades-old PAC-2 production.
