The latest report reveals that a substantial amount of the United States’ vital weapons arsenal has been depleted during the conflict with Iran under the leadership of Donald Trump. According to sources in Congress and internal estimates from the Defense Department as reported by The New York Times, over 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles, each valued at more than $4 million, have been utilized. Additionally, a significant number of Precision Strike and ATACMS ground-based missiles have been fired, exceeding 1,000 units.
In the course of the conflict, the US military is said to have deployed close to the entirety of its remaining stock of around 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles intended for a potential confrontation with China. Moreover, the military has launched over 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, a quantity approximately ten times more than its annual procurement rate.
While the White House has not disclosed an official cost estimate for the ongoing war, independent reports suggest it could range between $28 billion and $35 billion. A study by the American Enterprise Institute indicates that the conflict may have already incurred costs ranging from $25 billion to $35 billion, with an initial expenditure of $5.6 billion within the first two days.
Senator Jack Reed, a prominent figure on the Armed Services Committee, has indicated that the process of replenishing the depleted stockpile may extend over several years at the current production pace. The Defense Department is awaiting approval of additional funds from Congress to replenish the diminishing military inventory.
Despite previous announcements in January regarding agreements with defense contractors to boost production over a seven-year period, efforts to commence expanded production have not materialized due to financial constraints. The administration is currently working to secure the necessary funding for the war.
Commenting on the situation, Mark F. Cancian from the Center for Strategic and International Studies emphasized that while the US possesses sufficient reserves of many munitions, critical ground-attack and missile-defense munitions were already scarce before the conflict and are now even more limited.
In response to the report, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed its premise as “false,” affirming that the United States maintains a robust military capability with ample weapons and munitions both domestically and globally to safeguard the nation and execute military operations as directed by the commander in chief.