The US Army has used up much of its global stockpile of long-range precision missiles during the five-month war with Iran, raising concerns about the military's ability to respond to future conflicts.
A Reuters report on Tuesday quoted three people familiar with US military data as saying that supplies of the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and newer Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) have been sharply depleted. Two of the sources said the US has used “virtually all" of the missiles, although the sources declined to provide remaining stockpile figures.
The weapons, which cost more than $1 million each, enable US forces to strike targets accurately from a distance while reducing the risks to personnel. ATACMS have also been supplied to Ukraine for attacks against targets inside Russia.
The PrSM is a newer system that is intended to replace the shorter-range ATACMS. The Army has been shifting production toward the PrSM as ATACMS is phased out.
The depletion of long-range precision weapons could affect the options available to President Donald Trump if the US resumes large-scale attacks against Iran. One source said the administration had sought to avoid more dangerous alternatives, including attacks requiring piloted aircraft to drop bombs.
The three sources expressed concern that reduced missile stocks could also affect the US ability to deter adversaries such as Russia and China. Long-range precision weapons are considered particularly valuable against countries with strong air defenses.
A fourth person familiar with the matter said the US military remains capable of resupplying forces, noting that US Central Command has been able to replenish its supplies using military stockpiles located around the world.
The White House disputed concerns over US weapons availability. In a statement provided in response to questions about the stockpile figures, Trump said the US has “far more munitions than anyone in the world" and “far more than we need." He also said US defense companies are producing munitions at unprecedented levels while expanding manufacturing facilities and equipment.
Analysts have acknowledged increased production of some weapons, including artillery shells and various missiles, while warning that output may still fall short of what would be required to sustain a prolonged conflict.
The Pentagon also rejected concerns about the military's ability to conduct operations. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the US military has maintained a deep arsenal of capabilities while carrying out successful operations across multiple combatant commands.
The stockpile figures have circulated within the federal government amid discussions in the Trump administration about how long the US can continue operations against Iran without reducing supplies to levels that could constrain its ability to respond to other crises.
The concerns extend beyond offensive weapons. A recent report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that roughly 65% of Patriot interceptors were used between February and July, while the number of THAAD ballistic missile interceptors in US stockpiles had fallen by at least 38% compared with the beginning of the war.
Two sources told Reuters that those estimates were consistent with internal US data, although Reuters said it had not independently reviewed the figures.
The US has also used a significant portion of its Tomahawk cruise missile stockpile since the war began. One source estimated that slightly less than half of the global supply had been expended, though Reuters said it could not independently verify the figure.
Tomahawks are launched from US Navy destroyers, cruisers and submarines and are used to strike heavily defended targets without putting pilots at risk.
Raytheon, a unit of RTX, has reached a tentative multi-year agreement with the Pentagon intended to increase Tomahawk production as the US seeks to replenish its weapons stockpiles.