US EditionHeavy weapons use in Iran war sparks concerns over US readiness in Taiwan: Report
Officials say the war has burned through more than 1,000 Tomahawks and 1,200 Patriot interceptors, leaving U.S. inventories worrisomely low.
- The Pentagon confirmed the Iran war has significantly drained global munitions supplies, leaving regional commands in Asia and Europe less prepared for potential conflicts with adversaries like China and Russia.
- Since February, the military has fired more than 1,200 Patriot interceptors, 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles, costing over $30 billion.
- During a Tuesday Senate hearing, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo Jr., head of Indo-Pacific Command, acknowledged "finite limits to the magazine," while Representative Ted Lieu noted shooting expensive missiles at cheap Iranian drones costs asymmetrically.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the munitions premise is "false," while the administration secured seven-year agreements with Lockheed Martin to quadruple production of precision-guided systems in January.
- Asset movements to the Middle East provided a strategic boon to China and North Korea, prompting the administration to request a historic $1.5 trillion FY2027 defense budget to address readiness gaps.
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Former White House official: Iran war has left US dangerously exposed to China
After two months of conflict with no end in sight, Former Undersecretary of State Richard Stengel says that the U.S. is now “poorer,” “less safe,” and “more vulnerable” to its adversaries. His comments were posted along with an article from the New York Times that details how the war has drained stockpiles of “critical, costly weapons.”“It is difficult to come to any other conclusion,” writes Stengel, “than that this admin's war in Iran has made…
Tomahawk, JASSM, THAAD... U.S. Army stockpiles of weapons and ammunition have been amputated since the beginning of the war in Iran, questioning Washington's ability to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.
It could take six years for the ammunition shot in Iran to be replenished, which could pose problems for the US in a possible conflict over Taiwan.
The 38 days of conflict absorbed huge quantities of Tomahawk, JASSM-ER, Patriot and ATACMS missiles - The Pentagon was forced to transfer weapons systems from Europe and Asia to the Middle East - Concern about readiness against Russia and China
Reports: Iran War Depleting Key US Weapons Stockpiles
America's latest war has come with a perhaps unanticipated side effect: a serious dent in the US weapons cupboard. In the two months since the conflict in Iran began, US forces have used roughly 1,100 JASSM-ER stealth cruise missiles—with not much more than that figure left in stock—...
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