The ongoing war with Iran has posed such a challenge to America’s military hegemony that perhaps even the Pentagon had not imagined. A sensational report by CNN has shocked the entire world. According to the report, America’s stockpile of weapons has depleted to dangerous levels in this ongoing conflict against Iran. The situation is so dire that the US military’s stock of THAAD and Patriot interceptor missiles has been reduced by half. Experts claim that if this war drags on, America could face a fate similar to that of Germany and Japan in 1945 after the Second World War.
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Is the ‘Superpower’ of weapons ending ?
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Following US President Donald Trump’s announcement to end the ceasefire, there is an apprehension that the intensity of the war will increase further. However, the cause for concern is that America is facing a severe shortage of ammunition to fight it. In the initial phase of the war, the US military used thousands of its advanced missiles. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), America has already used about 30 percent of its Tomahawk cruise missiles.
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Increased threat for China and North Korea
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Defense experts believe that this rapidly depleting stockpile of weapons has become a strategic risk for America. According to Colonel Mark Cancian, if this situation continues, America’s grip on the Indo-Pacific region could weaken. The biggest danger is that if America has to fight a major rival like China or North Korea in the future, it will not have enough weapons. The current pace of replenishing weapons is so slow that it could take America three to five years to restore the stock to its previous level.
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Production delays and the budget cry
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It is surprising that even after the start of the war, the US Congress has not yet approved any additional budget to increase the production of these missiles. Under current capacity, America is receiving only 15 Tomahawk and 20 Patriot missiles every month, while no new delivery of THAAD interceptors is scheduled for 2026. Former Pentagon official Ellen McCusker has clearly stated that it will take years to resume the supply of most essential weapons.
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Pentagon’s claim – Experts’ fear
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On the other hand, the Pentagon says that it is trying to increase production through the ‘Defense Production Act’ and is also allowing countries like Germany and Ukraine to produce them. The Pentagon has assured that it has sufficient capacity to defend its allies. However, defense experts consider this a mere ‘show’. They believe that if this indiscriminate use of missiles continues, the superpower America may soon have to pay a heavy price for its strategic mistakes.
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