Breaking Down US Missile Expenditures During the Air Campaign Against Iran
A new report from the CSIS think tank examines how the United States consumed critical missile types over a 39-day air campaign targeting Iran. The findings carry serious implications for Ukraine, particularly concerning shortages of Patriot and PrSM missiles. It shows that replenishing seven key missile categories could take anywhere from one to four years.
Missile Usage During the Campaign
Over the course of the air campaign, American forces launched more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles from a pre-war stockpile of roughly 3,100 units. Additional launches included:
- over 1,000 JASSM missiles (out of 4,400);
- between 190 and 370 SM-6 missiles;
- between 130 and 250 SM-3 interceptors;
- between 190 and 290 THAAD interceptors;
- between 1,060 and 1,430 Patriot PAC-3 MSE missiles.
A US Army official confirmed that the entire inventory of PrSM tactical missiles was exhausted in Iran.
The Patriot system, which is in service with 18 countries, played a central role in this campaign. Roughly half of the annual Patriot production is allocated to allied and partner nations. Since the start of the war, Ukraine has received over 600 Patriot interceptors, highlighting how critical these systems are to its defense.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remarked: 'every Patriot missile fired in the Middle East is one less missile for Ukraine.'
Another major concern is the delayed delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Japan, with reports indicating that shipments of 400 missiles may be postponed due to the Iran conflict. Lockheed Martin aims to boost annual production of the Patriot PAC-3 MSE to 2,000 units by 2030, up from the current 600. THAAD interceptor production is also set to increase to 400 per year (from 96).
Overall, rebuilding the seven critical missile stockpiles is expected to take between 42 and 64 months after Congress allocates the necessary funding. Even before the war, US reserves were considered insufficient for a potential conflict with China, underscoring the need to closely monitor missile expenditures and inventories to safeguard US national security and that of its allies. The operation, named Epic Fury, highlighted the scale of these expenditures and their impact on global security.
The CSIS report underscores the complexity of the global security landscape facing the US and its allies, especially regarding military spending and arms supply constraints. For Ukraine, which is actively fighting a war, the depletion of critical missiles like the Patriot could threaten its defensive capabilities. This situation calls for tighter defense coordination among allies to ensure security in an ever-evolving international environment.
The depletion of U.S. missile stockpiles during the recent air campaign has raised significant concerns regarding military readiness and support for allies. For a deeper understanding of how the conflict in Iran has impacted missile availability and the projected timeline for replenishment, read more about the consequences of reduced missile supplies and what it means for global security dynamics.