US CENTCOM Commander: "Worried About Depleted Intercept Missiles? Not Concerned at All"

General Brad Cooper, the U.S. Central Command chief overseeing military operations in the Middle East, has dismissed claims that the U.S. is running low on missile stockpiles for the war with Iran, stating that he is "not concerned at all."

Commander Cooper made the remarks in a preview clip released on September 13 (local time) by CBS News' current affairs program 60 Minutes, when asked how worried he currently is about the missile inventory issue.

He emphasized, "We are well-armed and prepared for any contingency."

When asked whether he has zero concerns about future threats given estimates that the U.S. has used 45 percent of its Patriot interceptor missile inventory and more than half of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles, Commander Cooper briefly replied, "I am not concerned."

Commander Cooper's stance comes amid consecutive media reports that the prolonged war with Iran, lasting over half a year, has severely depleted core U.S. weapon stockpiles.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 10th, citing current and former officials, that Vice President JD Vance has been directly calling U.S. military commanders in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia since this spring to check on battle conditions and how transferring weapons to the Middle East affects deterrence against China, Russia, and North Korea.

During calls with Vice President Vance, some commanders reported that Patriot stockpiles in certain regions had dropped below 100 missiles, and that inventories of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM)—developed to replace them—had significantly decreased, according to the NYT.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a U.S. think tank, analyzed that as of late July, the estimated U.S. military holdings of Patriot missiles stood between 759 and 827 units.

This marks a sharp drop from the pre-war inventory of 2,330 units.

As air defense missile stocks plunge, the U.S. Department of Defense is working to expand production by entering into long-term contracts with defense companies.

The Pentagon announced on August 31 that it signed two major baseline agreements with General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin, explaining that the agreements will increase production and accelerate delivery schedules for core missile subcomponents supporting THAAD and the latest Patriot (PAC-3 MSE) systems.

Despite these efforts, U.S. political outlet The Hill reported that industry experts believe it will take at least several years to rebuild core U.S. weapon stockpiles back to pre-war levels.
 
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