US nearly exhausted key long-range missile stockpiles after months of Iran war, report says
The United States has used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, raising fresh concerns about
The United States has used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, raising fresh concerns about the military's readiness for future conflicts, Reuters reported, citing three people familiar with the data. According to the news outlet, the missiles include the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the newer Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), two of the US Army's primary surface-to-surface precision weapons. The extent to which US stockpiles of ATACMS and PrSM missiles have been depleted had not previously been reported, Reuters said. Long-range precision weapons in short supply The long-range missiles, each costing more than $1 million, enable the US military to strike targets accurately from a safe distance. According to the media outlet, ATACMS supplied by Washington have also played a significant role in Ukraine's war by allowing Ukrainian forces to hit targets inside Russia. The newer PrSM is designed to replace ATACMS and offers a longer range and improved capabilities.
Reuters reported that the sharp decline in these precision-guided munitions could force President Donald Trump to rely more heavily on piloted bombing missions if he orders another large-scale military campaign against Iran. The sources declined to tell Reuters how many ATACMS or PrSM missiles remain in US inventories. Concerns over military readiness Trump launched the military campaign against Iran alongside Israel in February, expecting the conflict to be short-lived. However, as the war has stretched into its fifth month, and reportedly the dwindling missile inventories are raising concerns about America's ability to deter rivals such as China and Russia. A fourth source told the news outlet that while US Central Command has nearly exhausted the land-based missile stocks it had before the conflict began, it has replenished supplies by drawing from stockpiles held elsewhere around the world. White House says US has ample weapons Responding to questions about the reported stockpile levels, the White House released a statement from Trump dismissing concerns over shortages.
"We have far more munitions than anyone in the world," Trump said, according to the news outlet. "Our defense companies are, at this moment, making more munitions than they have ever made before, in addition to expanding their plants and equipment at record levels," he added. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell also rejected suggestions that US readiness had been compromised. "America's military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President's choosing," Parnell said in a statement provided to Reuters. Analysts warn production may not keep pace While analysts acknowledge that production of artillery shells and several missile systems has reached record levels, they reportedly said that manufacturing may still fall short if the United States becomes involved in another prolonged conflict. According to Reuters, Lockheed Martin, which manufactures ATACMS, PrSM and the THAAD missile defense system, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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