Report: US Used Many Expensive Missiles in Iran War
Introduction
A new report says the United States used many of its best missiles during a 39-day fight with Iran. Chinese military watchers talked about this. Pentagon officials say the US still has enough missiles.
Main Body
The report is from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). It says the US used between 1,060 and 1,430 Patriot missiles. That is more than half of what the US had before the war. The US also used between 190 and 290 THAAD missiles. Each THAAD missile costs about $15.5 million. The US used between 130 and 250 SM-3 missiles. Each SM-3 costs about $28.7 million. The Navy used between 190 and 370 SM-6 missiles. Each SM-6 costs about $5.3 million. The US fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles. Each Tomahawk costs about $2.6 million. The US also fired more than 1,000 JASSM missiles. The Army used between 40 and 70 PrSM missiles. The US had only about 90 PrSM missiles before the war. The Pentagon says there is no shortage. A spokesperson said the US has the weapons it needs. The Navy wants to buy more missiles. It asked for $22.6 billion for new weapons in 2027. The Pentagon wants to spend about $70 billion on missiles next year. That is three times more than now. But making new missiles takes time. It can take three to five years to get new missiles. Other countries also want to buy these missiles. For example, Ukraine and European allies need them. Companies like Lockheed Martin want to make more Patriot missiles. They want to make 2,000 per year by 2030. But experts say it is hard to make missiles quickly. Chinese military watchers say the US has a big problem. They say the US used many of its best missiles. If there is a war with China, the US may not have enough missiles. The US moved THAAD systems from South Korea to the Middle East during the Iran fight. This shows the US had to choose where to protect. Some European countries may have to wait longer for their missiles. One European official said countries may stop buying US weapons if deliveries are late. The US also has a backlog of over $20 billion in weapons for Taiwan. Those deliveries are years late.
Conclusion
The report shows the US used a large part of its best missiles in the Iran war. Pentagon officials say there is no shortage. But analysts and foreign watchers say this is a risk for future wars. The Pentagon plans to buy many more missiles. But making them takes time. Other countries also need these missiles. So the US may not have enough for a big war in the future.