US Depleted 'Virtually All' ATACMS in Iran War
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- Reuters reported the U.S. has used 'virtually all' its long-range precision strike missiles — Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) — during the Iran war, with sources declining to specify remaining quantities.
- CSIS estimated the U.S. has fewer than 827 Patriot missiles and fewer than 278 THAAD ballistic missile interceptors remaining in stockpiles.
- The depletion traces back to the Ukraine war since 2022, when the U.S. supplied Patriot interceptors and an unspecified number of ATACMS to Kyiv faster than they could be replaced.
- President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and UN Ambassador Mike Waltz have repeatedly denied the U.S. is running low on critical munitions despite the growing body of evidence.
- The Pentagon has pursued major replenishment efforts, including an $18.2 billion budget request and a $441 million contract to RTX for PAC-2 Patriot missiles — a type not ordered in decades.
- A U.S. official told the Washington Post there aren't enough munitions to sustain Middle East operations, adding 'I don't think the White House is aware of that.'
Why it matters: The contradiction between officials' public denials and a U.S. official's private claim that 'the White House isn't aware' of shortages exposes a credibility gap on war-fighting readiness. Since munitions 'take years to build,' even the $18.2 billion replenishment request and emergency PAC-2 orders can't quickly close the gap before further operations strain depleted stockpiles.
