General Dan Caine - Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff - has expressed concern about the shortage of air defense missiles since January, according to a well-informed source.
These concerns have increased sharply in recent weeks as the Pentagon deploys its largest military build-up in the Middle East since the Iraq war.
This development takes place after the US significantly expanded the scale of military operations. President Donald Trump regularly uses the military to pursue foreign goals, from arresting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, killing drug trafficking suspects, airstrikes on Houthi forces in Yemen, to attacks on Iran to weaken Tehran's nuclear program last year.
Many US operations have used a large number of high-precision interceptor and attack missiles, including Standard Missile-3, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles, and Patriot missiles.
The US defense industry has faced difficulties for many years in producing key air defense interceptor missiles used to counter incoming missiles, partly due to the complex production process and rapid progress requirements.
Interviews with 6 current and former US officials and congressmen show widespread concern that if Iran responds, the US air defense system in the Middle East could be seriously eroded and tens of thousands of US troops stationed in the area are at risk of not being adequately protected from Tehran's missiles.
The US missile shortage has affected allies, including NATO countries seeking to buy more Patriot systems to transfer to Ukraine.
A US defense official admitted that this is a "key and prolonged concern". He also warned that the shortage could increase pressure within the Pentagon to limit arms aid to Ukraine.
The Pentagon rejects concerns about weapons stockpiles. Spokesman Sean Parnell declared that the US Department of Defense "has everything necessary to carry out any tasks according to the president's decision, at the time and place chosen by the president".
However, Senator Richard Blumenthal believes that the US defense industry currently does not produce Patriot interceptor missiles manufactured by Lockheed Martin or Tomahawk long-range missiles of RTX fast enough.
According to Mr. Blumenthal and a group of other senators, the transfer of more Patriot systems from the Middle East to Ukraine will now be more difficult because the US needs to protect military bases and embassies in the region.
US defense contractors are also said to have informed European allies that they are not capable of increasing weapons production to support Ukraine in the short term.
According to estimates by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the US has used up to 20% of the Standard Missile-3 interceptor missiles expected to be available in 2025, and from 20-50% of the missiles belonging to the THAAD system.
Experts believe that the scale of Iran's air defense missile and ballistic missile arsenal, as well as any subsequent attack from the US, could affect the overload level of the US air defense system.
