U.S. Blew Through Expensive Weapons in Iran War
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- Since the Iran war began in late February, the U.S. has expended about 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles, nearly depleting its stockpile, and fired over 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, far exceeding annual production rates.
- The Pentagon has also used more than 1,200 costly Patriot interceptor missiles and over 1,000 Precision Strike and ATACMS ground-based missiles, significantly reducing inventories and raising readiness concerns.
- The conflict has drained U.S. munitions globally, forcing rapid redeployment from Asia and Europe, which has weakened regional commands' ability to counter threats from Russia and China.
- The war has highlighted the Pentagon’s dependence on expensive missiles and raised questions about the defense industry's capacity to produce cheaper, more rapidly deployable arms like attack drones.
- Independent estimates place the war's cost between $28 billion and $35 billion, averaging nearly $1 billion per day, though the Pentagon has not officially disclosed total munitions used or overall expenses.
