The U.S. military’s stockpiles of Patriot missiles and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles have been significantly diminished during the Iran war, according to a recent report.
The report, released on July 27 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said that the U.S. military had about 2,330 Patriot interceptors before the Iran war and only about 1,030 when the ceasefire took effect in April.
It is estimated that the U.S. military’s current stockpile had between 759 and 827 Patriot interceptors after the United States and Iran exchanged strikes earlier this month following the collapse of the ceasefire and the memorandum of understanding.
The depletion of the U.S. Patriot stockpile came after President Donald Trump launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran on Feb. 28. Since the start of the operation, U.S. forces have used Patriot and THAAD interceptors to defend U.S. bases in the region from Iran’s retaliatory strikes.
The July 27 report estimated that the U.S. military’s stockpile of THAAD interceptors dropped from 452 to 232–262 between February and April. It is estimated that the military replenished some of the inventory, leaving a stockpile of between 234 and 278 THAAD interceptors.
CSIS statistics indicated that the Patriot interceptor stockpile decreased by at least 65 percent. Meanwhile, the THAAD interceptor stockpile decreased by at least 38 percent since the start of the war.
“Diminished stockpiles may force the United States and its coalition partners to take more risks with interceptions,” the CSIS said.
“There are no good alternatives to Patriot and THAAD for ballistic missile defense. Navy ships, with Standard Missiles that can intercept such threats, generally are too far away.”
Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and senior CSIS adviser who co-authored the report, warned that the reduced stockpiles of Patriot and THAAD interceptors could affect how the military chooses to shoot down missiles and drones. U.S. forces could reduce the number of interceptors it fires as the Iran war continues, he said.
“It reduces the chances of interception, but you save a missile,” Cancian said.
He added that U.S. forces could also choose not to fire interceptors if Iranian missiles were expected to miss their targets and only cause a “small amount of damage.”
“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,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told The Epoch Times when asked about the reduction in U.S. military stockpiles.
“We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests.”
In May, the CSIS warned that it could take the United States at least three years to replenish its stockpiles of Patriot and THAAD interceptors and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The CSIS said that while the U.S. military had enough munitions for “any plausible scenario” in the Iran war, the reduced stockpiles left a “window of vulnerability for a potential Western Pacific conflict.”
“The time needed to rebuild those inventories has thus become a major concern,” it said.
Despite the reduction in Patriot and THAAD missile interceptors, the White House said the U.S. military has sufficient stockpiles to accomplish the president’s objectives.
“The United States Military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles to serve all of President Trump’s strategic goals and beyond, and Operation Epic Fury has exposed what happens when you mess with the United States,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told The Epoch Times on July 31.
“Even still, the President has urged our defense contractors to constantly produce more made-in-America weapons, which are the best in the world. Democrats destroyed our military, but President Trump rebuilt it.”
Lockheed Martin said the funding will allow the company to triple its production of PAC-3 missile segment enhancement interceptors by the end of 2030.
On July 31, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee for a supplemental budget request, including $67.1 billion for the War Department. The Pentagon asked Congress for $40 billion to expand production and expedite munitions delivery.
Hegseth said the Iran war had cost the United States $37.5 billion so far.
“We face critical shortfalls that threaten our ability to also simply pay our service members, rapidly replenish equipment and munitions, and sustain vital operations without disruption,” he told the committee.
