The U.S. has used up about half of its Patriot missile stockpile in the war against Iran
The United States' military arsenal has been significantly depleted due to the active use of air defense systems in combat operations against Iran.
According to new data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the country has already used about 50% of its reserve interceptor missiles.
Experts have calculated that prior to the start of full-scale hostilities with Iran, the U.S. had 2,330 missiles for the Patriot air defense system at its disposal.
To date, ammunition expenditure is estimated to range from 1,060 to 1,430 units, which threatens strategic reserves.
The situation is complicated by the extremely high cost and long production cycle of each missile.
The price of a single interceptor missile is $3.9 million, and the lead time for delivery from the manufacturer to replenish stocks is up to 42 months.
Currently, the Patriot system is in service in 18 other countries worldwide, creating enormous demand for these scarce missiles.
The U.S. is forced to allocate nearly half of its annual ammunition production to meet the needs of its allies and partners.
Ukraine remains one of the key consumers of this type of weaponry in the face of Russian aggression. Since the start of the war, Kyiv has received over 600 interceptor missiles from the U.S. and other international partners to defend its airspace.
Lockheed Martin has already announced plans to scale up its production capacity to address the shortage.
The manufacturer intends to increase annual production of PAC-3 MSE missiles to 2,000 units by 2030, whereas the current figure stands at only 600.
War in Iran Weakens U.S. Position
Iran has officiallyrefused a second round of negotiations with the US — Al Jazeera.
Iran rejected Trump’s claims about transferring uranium to the US and accused him of manipulation
The US and Iran are negotiating a potential deal that would involve exchanging enriched uranium for the unfreezing of approximately $20 billion in Iranian assets. Washington’s primary goal in the negotiations is to prevent Iran from accessing significant stockpiles of enriched uranium and to reduce nuclear risks.
U.S. President Donald Trump also announced progress in negotiations with Iran, under which Washington would allegedly receive all of Tehran’s enriched uranium without any financial payments.
