Overview
- Reporting shows U.S. forces used most pre‑war stocks of ground‑launched long‑range strike missiles, including ATACMS and PrSM, during five months of fighting with Iran.
- Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot interceptor inventories were also reduced, with the CSIS earlier reporting nearly half of Patriot interceptors had been fired.
- CENTCOM replenished regional stocks by transferring missiles from other parts of the world, a step that restored supply locally but drew down global holdings.
- Administration officials including President Donald Trump and a Pentagon spokesman have publicly insisted the U.S. has ample ammunition and growing production capacity.
- Analysts warn the heavy use of million‑dollar precision missiles to avoid riskier strike options has strained readiness and could limit U.S. deterrence against high‑end rivals such as China or Russia if production cannot quickly replace losses.