US depletes its missile arsenal to protect Israel in Iran war; now rendered much weaker militarily: Report
According to reports, the US expended such a massive number of interceptor missiles to protect Israel that its own stockpile has been depleted by half.
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New Delhi: In the conflict with Iran, the United States while defending Israel now appears to be finding itself in a precarious situation. The circumstances have reached a point where questions are being raised regarding the missile reserves of the 'world's most powerful military'. According to reports, the US expended such a massive number of interceptor missiles to protect Israel that its own stockpile has been depleted by half. Now, even US allies like Japan and South Korea are growing concerned. The fear is that if fresh tensions were to suddenly escalate with China, North Korea, or Iran, would the US have sufficient missiles remaining to defend itself and its allies?
How Much of United States' Missile Inventory Is Depleted?
According to a report by the American newspaper The Washington Post, a significant portion of the US's advanced missile defense interceptor stockpile has been exhausted due to the country shouldering a large share of Israel's air defense responsibilities during the recent conflict with Iran. According to this report, US officials speaking on the condition of anonymity stated that this imbalance has heightened concerns regarding whether the United States is fully prepared to fulfill its global security obligations.
As per the report, the US fired more than 200 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor missiles in defense of Israel. Additionally, over 100 Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6 interceptors were launched from US naval vessels stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean. US officials indicated that this operation has depleted approximately half of the United States' missile inventory.
Why This Poses a Threat to the US
According to the report, Kelly Grieco, a Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center, stated that these figures are startling. The United States bore the brunt of the missile defense burden, while Israel preserved its own stockpile. Even if the strategy was sound, the U.S. now has only about 200 THAAD interceptors remaining, and its production capacity is significantly slower than the demand.
The report states that U.S. allies such as Japan and South Korea are also concerned about this shortage, as both nations rely on U.S. security to counter threats from China and North Korea. Another U.S. official told The Washington Post, "Overall, the U.S. fired approximately 120 interceptors more than double the number of incoming Iranian missiles engaged."
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The official pointed out that the actual military burden was quite different from the fanfare often associated with the U.S.-Israel partnership. The newspaper also reported that the Israeli military is preparing to temporarily take some of its missile defense batteries offline for maintenance. Officials warned that if U.S. President Donald Trump decides to resume military action against Iran, the strain on the U.S. interceptor stockpile could intensify further.
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