▲ US Patriot missiles deployed near the Ukrainian border
The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 8th (local time) that the U.S. inventory of Patriot (PAC-3) missiles, a core air defense system, has fallen below 1,700 units as military resources have been depleted due to conflicts such as the war with Iran.
Citing anonymous government officials, the NYT reported that America's stockpiles of precision weapons and air defense missiles have decreased to a concerning level due to the prolonged war with Iran.
According to the report, the U.S. has used more than 1,500 Patriot missiles during operations involving Iran, and the remaining U.S. Patriot inventory is estimated to be below 1,700 units.
Considering the production speed of defense contractors, it is estimated that it will take more than two years to replenish the depleted Patriot stockpile.
The NYT reported that hundreds of cutting-edge air defense interceptor missiles have been redeployed from South Korea and other parts of Asia to the Middle East, and that aircraft carrier strike groups and some of the U.S. Navy's elite destroyers have also been relocated to support operations related to Iran.
A U.S. official stated that as the Department of Defense redirects tactical surveillance assets to the Middle East and withdraws air defense assets, U.S. Forces Korea could be placed in a more vulnerable position in the event of a war with North Korea.
In Asia, U.S. officials expressed concern that South Korea and Japan could harbor doubts about America's defense capabilities through non-nuclear assets and lean toward pursuing their own nuclear armaments.
In Europe, considering stagnant weapon production, allies are already reviewing plans to diversify their arms procurement sources to other countries.
The fallout from the missile shortage has also had an immediate impact on Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that Western-supplied air defense missiles this year have plummeted to one-third of the level seen last year.
Russia and China are also sources of concern.
U.S. officials said that Russia and China have long been aware of the limited nature of U.S. weapon stockpiles and recognize that it will take time for the U.S. to refill its inventory to a level capable of executing specific war plans.
Recently, U.S. media outlets have successively reported that U.S. military missile stockpiles are at critically deficient levels.
The White House has warned of strict legal punishment against the source of the leaks.
The Department of Defense dismissed reports of weapon shortages as groundless, stating, "We have everything we need to strike at a time and place of the President's choosing."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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