Is US out of long-range precision missiles?

As Reuters reports, according to three people familiar with the data, much of the US Army’s stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles has been used up during the five-month war with Iran. The missiles in question are surface-to-surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). “Virtually all” of these have been used up, according to two of the sources. The US also used up a little less than half of its global supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles, one of the sources said.

Supplied ATACMS were vital in the war in Ukraine, as they allowed for strikes inside Russia’s territory. PrSM is a newer generation of the weapon with a shorter range intended to replace ATACMS.

A fourth source familiar with the data said that while CENTCOM has nearly used up the land-based missiles it had before the war began, it has managed to reload them from US military supplies located in other parts of the world. The White House has been asked for a comment on the state of missile stockpiles. President Donald Trump answered, saying the US had “far more munitions than anyone in the world” and “far more than we need.” He added that US defence companies keep producing more munitions than ever before. Analysts do agree that certain munitions, including artillery shells and several types of missiles, are being produced at record levels. They warn, however, that supplies may fall short of what is needed if the war were to be prolonged. Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, which produce those weapons, did not immediately respond.

The dwindling of stockpiles of long-range missiles stems from Trump’s decision to avoid attacking Iranian targets with the use of piloted aircraft, which pose a risk of casualties among American troops.

Stockpiles of defensive weapons also seem to be running low. Last week, CSIS published a report estimating that between February and July about 65% of Patriot interceptors had been expended and that the number of THAAD ballistic missile interceptors was at least 38% lower than at the start of the war. Those systems are used to detect and destroy incoming missiles and are among the most effective ones. Patriot missiles are especially sought after by Ukraine as they efficiently intercept Russian air attacks.