Five months of war with Iran would have put severe strain on the U.S. military’s reserves of some of the most sophisticated weapons. According to Reuters, citing four sources familiar with internal Pentagon data, the United States has now used almost all of its ground-launched long-range tactical missiles, fueling fears about Washington’s ability to simultaneously address other possible crisis scenarios.
Which missiles are at “risk” and why are military commands on alert
At the center of concern are the Atacams (Army Tactical Missile Systems) and the more modern Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), devices capable of hitting targets hundreds of kilometers away with high precision. Two of the sources cited by the agency speak of stocks now “virtually exhausted”, although no official numbers are provided on the missiles still available.
These are weapons considered strategic for the American armed forces. The Atacams were also deployed in Ukraine, where they allowed Kiev to strike military targets deep in Russian-controlled territory. The PrSMs instead represent the new generation of missiles destined to replace the Atacams, offering a longer range and more advanced performance.
According to Reuters sources, the intense use of these systems in the campaign against Tehran now risks reducing the United States’ deterrence capacity against other potential adversaries, such as China and Russia. A fourth source, however, specifies that the American Central Command (Centcom) was able to continue operations thanks to the transfer of ammunition from other military depots distributed around the world.
The minimization of the authorities and the fears behind the scenes
The White House, however, rejects any alarm. In a statement released by Donald Trump, the president claims that the United States has “far more ammunition than anyone else in the world” and that the defense industry is increasing production to unprecedented levels while simultaneously expanding production facilities.
The Pentagon also maintains a reassuring line. Spokesman Sean Parnell said the US military has all the capabilities necessary to conduct operations decided by the president, underlining that the US arsenal remains among the largest in the world.
Behind the scenes, however, the debate would be heated. According to Reuters, in recent days discussions have multiplied within the administration on the opportunity to continue the raids against Iran without further compromising strategic reserves. One of the sources claims that the massive use of long-range missiles was favored by the desire to limit riskier missions with piloted aircraft.
The concerns are not just about offensive weapons. A recent study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (Csis), whose data would be consistent with internal Pentagon assessments according to two of the sources consulted by Reuters, estimates that around 65% of Patriot interceptors have been consumed since the beginning of the war and that stocks of Thaad anti-missile systems have also been significantly reduced. Again according to one of the sources, almost half of the global availability of Tomahawk cruise missiles would also have been used, while the Pentagon accelerates industrial programs to replenish the arsenals. Another piece which, combined with the leap in inflation, demonstrates how the war in Iran has so far been a bad deal for the Trump administration and for the entire United States.