A series of Defense Department evaluations has revealed that the United States military has severely drained its own stockpiles of premium missile-defense munitions, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
The drawdown occurred after American forces expended vastly more high-end interceptors to protect the Jewish State from Iranian ballistic missile barrages during Operation Epic Fury than the IDF used themselves.
According to data disclosed to The Washington Post by three US officials speaking anonymously, Washington has shouldered the primary tactical burden of intercepting Tehran’s strategic strikes. The lopsided engagement raises alarming vulnerabilities regarding American military readiness and global deterrence.
During the hostilities, the United States deployed over 200 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors - representing approximately half of the Pentagon's entire operational inventory. American naval vessels stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean supplemented the defense by launching more than 100 Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) and Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) interceptors.
Conversely, Israel fired fewer than 100 of its domestic Arrow interceptors and roughly 90 David’s Sling units, focusing several of those on less complex projectiles launched by proxies in Yemen and Lebanon, according to The Washington Post.
While both nations routinely praise the efficacy of Israel's multilayered defense array, internal administration assessments paint a highly uneven picture.
“In total, the US shot around 120 more interceptors and engaged twice as many Iranian missiles," an administration official admitted to The Post.
The imbalance is poised to worsen dramatically if President Donald Trump fulfills his threat to resume military operations against Tehran. Israeli commanders recently removed several of their own air-defense batteries from service for standard maintenance, meaning "the imbalance will likely be exacerbated if fighting restarts," an official noted.
Both governments aggressively pushed back against allegations of strategic free-riding. Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell insisted that the defensive burden was shared equitably across a wider network of platforms.
“Ballistic missile interceptors are just one tool in a vast network of systems and capabilities that comprise a layered and integrated air defense network," Parnell stated. “Both Israel and the United States carried the defensive burden equitably during Operation Epic Fury, which saw both countries employ fighter aircraft, counter-UAS systems, and various other advanced air and missile defense capabilities with maximal effectiveness."
The Israeli Embassy in Washington echoed this sentiment, framing the joint operations as a model of unparalleled alliance.
“Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury were coordinated at the highest and closest levels, to the benefit of both countries and their allies," the embassy declared. “The US has no other partner with the military willingness, readiness, shared interests, and capabilities of Israel."
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shavuot in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)