US depletes air defense stockpile: up to half of Patriot missiles already used in war with Iran - CNN

The United States has significantly reduced its stockpile of precision-guided missiles during the war with Iran, which could pose risks to defense capabilities in the event of a new major conflict.

It was reported by European Pravda with reference to CNN.

According to experts and sources familiar with the Pentagon's internal assessments, the United States has used at least 45% of its stockpile of precision-guided munitions in just seven weeks of combat operations.

In particular, we are talking about a significant reduction in the arsenal of air defense systems. According to analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the US military has spent about half of the missiles for the Patriot and THAAD systems.

These estimates, as noted, are consistent with classified Pentagon data.

Despite the fact that the United States currently has enough resources to continue operations against Iran, experts warn that the remaining key munitions may not be enough in the event of a collision with an equal-potential enemy such as China.

At the same time, it will take a long time to restore the stockpile. Even though contracts have been signed to expand production, the delivery time for new missiles is three to five years.

Analysts emphasize that the current situation demonstrates the vulnerability of even the largest military arsenals in the event of protracted conflicts.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the United States is postponing the transfer of weapons to European countries due to the significant depletion of its own stocks amid the war with Iran.