🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️ — Chief of Staff of the Army General Randy George, at the end of December, two months before the start of the conflict with Iran, warned about a critical shortage of ammunition for missile defense systems, and that this shortage would continue until 2030, several U.S. officials told CBS News. The Pentagon stated that claims about an ammunition shortage are “inaccurate.”

This warning was part of a risk analysis contained in the Global Force Management Allocation Plan for the 2027 fiscal year, developed by the Pentagon, which determines where troops will be deployed and where weapons will be stationed around the world, officials said. They noted that the THAAD and Patriot systems will be strategically limited in their use, referring to the transfer of Patriot systems to Ukraine, the use of ammunition to defend Israel during the 12‑day war, and reduced production capacity. For security reasons, CBS did not disclose exact figures. General George declined to comment.

Officials told CBS that the U.S. still has a significant stock of offensive munitions such as JDAMs and Small Diameter Bombs, but there is not enough ammunition for missile defense systems. One of them said that even if there is no further use, rebuilding stocks to the level of December 2025 will take until 2030.

According to estimates by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which were cited by CBS, up to 61% of roughly 2,300 Patriot air defense missiles and up to 82% of roughly 355 THAAD missiles were used during the conflict. CSIS reported that in the 2026 fiscal year fewer than 500 Patriot systems are expected to be delivered, and no THAAD systems are planned. The U.S. has requested more than 800 THAAD systems for the 2027 fiscal year, and in January Lockheed Martin announced plans to increase THAAD production from 96 to 400 per year.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said that the United States “has everything it needs to carry out a strike at any time and in any place the president chooses.”

@IntelSlava