DistantNews
Support us
🇺🇸 United States /Conflict & Security

US has used nearly all long-range missiles, sources say

From CBS News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The U.S. has depleted nearly its entire stockpile of long-range precision missiles, including ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles, according to sources.
  • Concerns are mounting over dwindling inventories of defensive interceptors like Patriot and THAAD, with replenishment rates lagging behind usage.
  • Pentagon officials assert the U.S. military has sufficient capabilities, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has previously downplayed concerns about stockpiles.

The United States has nearly exhausted its global stockpile of long-range precision missiles, including the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles, sources with direct knowledge told CBS News. This depletion occurred during the ongoing war with Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury by Reuters.

America's military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President's choosing. We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests.

— Sean ParnellPentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell's statement to CBS News regarding U.S. military capabilities.

The U.S. faces a critical shortage of defensive interceptors, particularly Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems. These interceptors are being used at a rate faster than industry can replace them. A July report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that U.S. Patriot missile inventories dropped from 2,330 before the war to between 759 and 827 by the end of July. Similarly, THAAD interceptors fell from 452 to a range of 234-278. The same report suggests it could take until mid-2029 to restore pre-war inventory levels for both systems.

Despite these concerns, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that America's military possesses all necessary capabilities to protect national interests. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has publicly dismissed worries about U.S. stockpiles, calling them a "manufactured story" and asserting that inventories are "great and only getting stronger."

That is a manufactured story that the media wants to peddle and ultimately our stockpiles are great, and they're only getting stronger.

— Pete HegsethDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth's remarks on 'Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan' on July 14, dismissing concerns about U.S. stockpiles.

U.S. strikes on Iran are currently paused to allow for diplomatic efforts concerning the Strait of Hormuz. However, President Trump continues to threaten a resumption of large-scale attacks if Iran does not meet U.S. demands. The president indicated a desire to exhaust all diplomatic options before considering more forceful actions.

I want to give them every last chance before decapitation.

— President TrumpPresident Trump's statement in the Oval Office regarding potential large-scale attacks on Iran.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CBS News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog