US missile stockpiles strained by pace of Iran war, officials say
US military and intelligence officials tell CBS News the pace of firing air-defense interceptors in the Iran war cannot be sustained. A CSIS analysis found about 30% of the pre-war Tomahawk stockpile and close to half of Patriot and THAAD interceptors have already been used.
US military and intelligence officials tell CBS News that the rapid pace of expending air-defense interceptors and precision-guided weapons in the war with Iran is a growing point of tension inside the Trump administration, raising concerns about US readiness for a potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific. A Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis found roughly 30% of the pre-war Tomahawk cruise missile stockpile and close to half of Patriot and THAAD interceptors have already been expended. Producing a replacement Tomahawk takes about 47 months and a JASSM missile about 48 months, and CSIS estimates stockpiles will not return to pre-war levels until 2030. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has disputed that there is a crisis, saying stockpiles are strong. Source: CBS News, CSIS.