The US has depleted its stockpile of missiles during the war with Iran, and is now at risk of running out if another conflict arises.
A new analysis from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies found that almost half of vital American missiles have been depleted during the war with Iran.
In just seven weeks, more than 45% of precision strike missiles, half of THAAD missiles and 50% of Patriot air defence interceptor missiles have been used up.
If the US were to enter another war within the next few years, it could run out of missiles, the analysis found.
Even though the Pentagon has signed contracts to expedite production of the weapons, they won’t be delivered for another three to five years, according to initial estimates.
But the Pentagon has denied this, with chief spokesman Sean Parnell telling CNN: ‘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.’
In March, it was reported that the US was burning through its stocks of precision missiles so quickly that they may have to become selective of Iranian targets.
As of March 4, Operation Epic Fury hit more than 2,000 targets, but commanders feared they would not be able to last the ‘four to five week’ timeframe for the war that Trump initially demanded, according to The Washington Post.
Another official told the Post that inventories were so thin that a lengthy campaign against Iran wouldn’t leave enough munitions for other threats, like China, which the report from CSIS also found.
Which missiles are the US running low on?
The US is reportedly running low on Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) batteries, which use both radar and interceptors to stop short, medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles.
It has a range of up to 124 miles and is operated by 95 soldiers, six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors and one radar system and communications centre.
The technology costs between $1billion to $1.8billion USD – seven others have been deployed to areas including South Korea, according to a Congressional Research Service report.
Patriot missiles, which are long-range surface-to-air defence systems, are running low. They track and intercept other ballistic missiles and are the main air defence systems for the US Army.
Precision strike missiles are the bread and butter for US troops in Iran right now. The ballistic missiles, developed by Lockheed Martin, have been used to strike various targets across Iran during the conflict.
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