A now-ousted US general warned that the American military was critically short on missile defense munitions and that the shortage could last for at least five years in the months before the war with Iran began, according to a CBS News report on Thursday.
Multiple US officials familiar with the matter told CBS that Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George’s risk analysis was included in the Pentagon's Global Force Management Allocation Plan in late December.
George was ousted by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in April in the midst of the war with Iran.
According to CBS, George warned that both Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and Patriot missile stockpiles would stay strategically low until at least 2030.
Anonymous US officials explained that George’s assessment stemmed from multiple factors, including the transfer of Patriot systems to Ukraine, munitions expended while defending Israel, and reduced defense industry production.
Officials told CBS that the US military does possess a significant stockpile of some offensive munitions, such as Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and Small Diameter Bombs.
Over 50% of Patriot, THAAD interceptor stockpiles reportedly expended
Among the arms at critically low stock levels is the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor, a surface-to-air munition designed to destroy ballistic and cruise missiles mid-air.
Patriot PAC-3 orders have an average delivery time of over three years, CBS cited the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) as estimating in April. Defense contractors can take over four years to deliver a new shipment of THAAD interceptors.
CSIS estimated that prior to the Iran war, when George made his assessment, the US may have had around 2,300 Patriot interceptors. Between 1,050 and 1,430 interceptors, or up to 61% of prewar inventory, may have been expended during the war with Iran.
According to CSIS, pre-war THAAD stockpiles included about 355 interceptors. Between 190 and 290 of the munitions were allegedly used in the war, potentially using up 82% of the inventory.
Stockpiles could take four years to replenish, US official says
While American defense contractors have made moves to increase production of THAAD and Patriot interceptors, a US official told CBS that even if no more munitions were used, it could take until 2030 for the stockpiles to be fully replenished.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell denied the reports of munitions shortages in a statement to CBS, stating that the US has "everything required to strike at the time and place of the president's choosing."