The Pentagon plans to spend more than $3.5 billion to replenish its weapons inventory following recent US military operations in the Middle East, primarily in defense of Israel, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
The funds, outlined in emergency budget requests submitted to Congress, highlight the significant costs of maintaining a heightened military presence in the region.
The requested funds will be used for a variety of purposes, including restocking missile interceptors, refurbishing vessels, and transporting munitions. A substantial portion, at least $1 billion, is designated for replacing RTX Corp. missile interceptors, which were fired to repel Iranian attacks, according to Bloomberg.
The documents cite US efforts to counter Iran's April 2024 attack on Israel, which involved over 110 medium-range ballistic missiles, 30 cruise missiles, and 150 uncrewed aerial vehicles.
Among the specific requests, the single largest is for about $1 billion to replace various models of the RTX Standard Missile interceptor, notably the SM-3 IB Threat Upgrade, which costs between $9 million and $12 million each. These were first used by Navy vessels to shoot down Iranian missiles. The documents also mention an "unplanned THAAD deployment" at a new location. The second-largest request is for $204 million to acquire more Lockheed Martin Corp. THAAD missile interceptors.
The spending blueprint draws on the 2024 Israeli Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, which allocates $14 billion to rebuild US inventory and pay for more Israeli missile interceptors.
These replenishment requests are separate from the $4.2 billion in US weapons and equipment sent directly to Israel between October 2023 and May.