"Patriot and THAAD dangerously depleted"… Internal alarm bells ringing among US senior commanders

As the war with Iran is prolonged, successive reports indicate that the US military's stockpiles of major interceptor missiles and precision-strike weapons are rapidly depleting.

Citing multiple military sources, CNN reported that the US military's inventory of THAAD interceptor missiles has dropped to one-fifth of pre-war levels.

Previously, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US think tank, estimated that the THAAD inventory had decreased from 452 units on February 27, just before the war, to between 234 and 278 units as of June 27, and CNN has now released an even more alarming figure.

CNN reported that internal warnings are emerging from senior commanders that the stockpiles are at dangerously low levels.

The depletion scale for Patriot interceptor missiles is becoming even more apparent.

CSIS estimated that the Patriot inventory, which stood at 2,330 units before the war, has fallen to between 759 and 827 units, meaning roughly two-thirds have been exhausted.

Citing multiple sources, Reuters reported that CSIS's latest estimates on Patriots and THAAD largely align with internal US government data.

The situation regarding offensive long-range missiles is also reported to be severe.

Reuters reported, citing multiple sources, that the US military has effectively nearly exhausted its stockpiles of Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) and Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).

However, the exact remaining quantities have not been disclosed.

It is also reported that slightly less than half of the worldwide stockpile of Tomahawk cruise missiles, launched from ships and submarines, has been depleted.

Based on current production and delivery schedules, CSIS projected that it will take more than three years to restore THAAD, Patriot, and Tomahawk inventories to pre-war levels.

The US government has stepped up production by tripling Patriot production capacity and quadrupling that for THAAD, but it is analyzed that considerable time will be needed before the actual missiles are delivered.

While the US Department of Defense maintains that it possesses sufficient forces for current operations, warnings are emerging that the stockpile reduction could diminish its capability to respond to crises in other regions.

Some military commanders and experts worry that shortages in key air defense and precision-strike weapons could weaken US deterrence and readiness against another potential military conflict with China or Russia.

(Reported by Kim Minjeong, Video by Lee Yujin, Design by Yook Do-hyun, Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.