Five months after the United States entered the war with Iran, attention is shifting from the battlefield to the country’s own weapons inventory.
According to people familiar with internal military data, the US Army has used “virtually all” of its Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, and Precision Strike Missiles, known as PrSM. These long range precision weapons are designed to strike heavily defended targets from safe distances and have formed a key part of the US campaign against Iran.
One source also said the United States has used a little less than half of its global inventory of Tomahawk cruise missiles, although that figure could not be independently verified. The exact number of missiles remaining has not been disclosed.
The reported drawdown has prompted discussions within the Trump administration over how long the United States can continue military operations against Iran without reducing stockpiles to levels that could affect its ability to respond to crises elsewhere. Some officials are concerned that lower inventories could weaken the country’s military readiness if another conflict involving China or Russia were to emerge.
According to one source, the extensive use of ATACMS and PrSM missiles reflects a decision to rely more heavily on long range precision strikes instead of riskier piloted bombing missions during the Iran campaign.
The reported decline extends beyond offensive weapons. Military leaders have also warned that supplies of Patriot missile interceptors and THAAD interceptors, both used to defend against incoming ballistic missiles, have fallen during the conflict. At the same time, officials said US Central Command has continued replenishing stocks by drawing weapons from military inventories around the world.
The White House has rejected concerns that the military’s capabilities had been weakened. US President Donald Trump has said that the country has “far more munitions than anyone in the world” and that defence companies are expanding production at record levels. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell also said the US military has everything it needs to carry out operations wherever required.
The reported stockpile figures have fuelled a broader debate inside the administration over balancing current military operations with maintaining enough advanced weapons for future conflicts, particularly as the war enters its sixth month.
Source: Reuters
