Pentagon acknowledges weapons shortfall from Iran war, replacement may take 3 years
The US Defense Department has acknowledged shortages in ammunition and advanced weapons after heavy use during the war with Iran, while President Donald Trump continues to deny there is a shortage, saying the United States has “virtually unlimited” ammunition and is producing “more exquisite and elite weapons than at any time” in its history.
A report by the Defense Department inspector general submitted to Congress found that ammunition use during “Operation Epic Fury” caused strategic inventory shortfalls and exposed bottlenecks in the defense industry that are hindering efforts to rebuild stocks.
The report said US military operations from the start of the US attack on Iran on Feb. 28 through June 30 cost about $33.4 billion, including $22.3 billion spent on ammunition alone.
It also said the volume of weapons used during the war has put pressure on US stocks, particularly advanced missiles and defensive interceptors, as the defense industry struggles to increase production quickly enough to replace what was consumed.
Three years to rebuild stocks
Experts estimate that restoring stocks of some advanced missiles and weapons to prewar levels could take about three years, despite measures the Defense Department says it has taken to accelerate production and make up the shortfall.
The report reinforces warnings that have emerged in recent months about the impact of high ammunition consumption on the US military’s readiness and its ability to conduct lengthy operations or respond to other crises at the same time.
Media reports said in June that Washington had imposed restrictions on the use of some missiles, particularly interceptors, because of pressure on stocks. The Trump administration denied this at the time.
Trump said then that the United States had “huge quantities of ammunition,” before reiterating in early September that the country had “virtually unlimited” quantities.
According to media reports, pressure on ammunition stocks led Trump to hold off on renewing large-scale attacks on Iran during the summer, as the administration weighed its options for resuming military operations.
Losses to aircraft and bases
The war’s impact was not limited to depleted ammunition stocks. The inspector general’s report also documented significant damage to US equipment and military bases during the fighting.
According to the report, four F-15 fighter jets were destroyed and one F-35 was damaged, while seven KC-135 tanker aircraft were destroyed or damaged, including five hit by Iranian munitions while on the ground in Saudi Arabia.
Attacks also destroyed as many as 30 MQ-9 drones, each costing about $30 million.
Iranian strikes damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and other structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan, the report said.
The damage also extended to US diplomatic buildings in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The estimated $33.4 billion cost does not include expenses for repairing or rebuilding the damaged facilities. US authorities have not yet determined whether all of them will be rebuilt or who will bear the costs.
Production at record levels
Despite the official acknowledgment of shortages, Trump has stuck to his claim that US weapons are plentiful, pointing to the increased pace of production at defense plants.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump said he had received a report that the United States was “producing more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in our history,” adding that the weapons “are being delivered on a daily basis to our Forces in the Middle East, and beyond.”
The US president said defense contractors’ plants were operating around the clock and that each company was simultaneously building four to five new large factories.
He said the main focus was on producing Patriot missiles, THAAD systems, Tomahawk missiles and other missile systems, stressing that the United States already has “large numbers in stock.”
Higher production does not necessarily mean stocks have returned to their previous levels, however. That depends on whether factories can replace ammunition at the same pace at which it was consumed during the war.
The inspector general’s report marks a notable development compared with warnings that emerged within the US administration during the first months of the war, when officials and research institutions disagreed over the scale of depletion.
At the end of April, US reports revealed disagreements within the Trump administration over the actual level of ammunition consumption, amid concerns that the pace of operations could create gaps in military readiness in the near term.
A study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies at the time estimated that the United States had used at least 45% of its Precision Strike Missiles (PrSMs), about half its THAAD missile stockpile, and around 50% of its Patriot air-defense missiles.
Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the center, warned that the pace of consumption could create a “window of increased vulnerability” in strategic regions, saying rebuilding some stocks could take one to four years.
US intelligence assessments at the time also indicated that Iran had retained a significant portion of its missile, air, and naval capabilities despite the strikes it sustained during the war.