Months of war with Iran have put a heavy strain on the United States’ weapons stockpiles. US officials have warned that stocks of key missiles and air-defence systems have fallen to a level that would leave Washington exposed if it were drawn into another major war.
With stocks depleted, the Pentagon has been forced to move weapons and military equipment from Europe and Asia to the Middle East, delay some deliveries of weapons and defence systems to allied countries, and order defence companies to ramp up production dramatically.
According to The New York Times, in the war launched against Iran under President Donald Trump, the United States has used thousands of costly missiles and other precision-guided weapons, drawing on stocks kept for US forces deployed in Europe and Asia. Senior US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The New York Times that top Trump administration officials had grown personally worried as stocks of air-defence missiles and other key weapons fell, forcing delays in some defence deliveries to several countries in Europe and Asia.
The Pentagon has quickly sent ships, aircraft and air-defence units from Europe and Asia to the Middle East. Officials say this has had knock-on effects on equipment maintenance, troop morale and overall US military strength in those regions, raising concern in US military and intelligence circles about the ability to sustain deterrence in Europe and the Indo-Pacific over the long term.
One of the most serious concerns is the “Patriot” air-defence system. The New York Times reported that the United States used more than 1,500 Patriot interceptor missiles in the war with Iran, and two people familiar with US stockpiles said the country now had fewer than 1,700 of them. Even with steps to boost production, replenishing the more than 1,500 Patriots used could take more than two years. Patriots are a key part of the US air-defence network, especially for US forces and allies at risk of missile attack in Asia and Europe.
The shift of US military assets to the Middle East has raised concern about Washington’s ability to protect allies elsewhere. The New York Times reported that some US officials fear that if the shortages continue, South Korea and Japan could question the reliability of America’s conventional military protection.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report