The U.S. military may face a near-term risk of running low on key missile systems following heavy use during Operation Epic Fury, according to a CNN report citing defense experts and individuals familiar with internal Pentagon assessments.

An analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that replenishing stockpiles to pre-conflict levels could take between three and five years, even as the Pentagon moves to ramp up missile production through newly signed contracts.

Since the conflict began on Feb. 28, the U.S. has expended roughly half of its inventory of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors and nearly half of its Patriot air defense missiles, according to the analysis. The report also estimated that at least 45 percent of the military’s Precision Strike Missiles have been used.

Additional systems have also seen significant drawdowns. About 30 percent of Tomahawk cruise missiles have been depleted, along with more than half of certain air-launched standoff missiles and roughly 20 percent of SM-3 and SM-6 interceptors, according to the findings and sources cited by CNN. Individuals familiar with classified Defense Department data told the outlet the figures closely align with internal Pentagon assessments.

While remaining inventories are likely sufficient to sustain operations against Iran, the analysis warned they may be inadequate for a broader conflict involving another major adversary such as China. Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and co-author of the report, said the depletion has “created a window of increased vulnerability in the western Pacific.”

Pentagon officials pushed back on concerns about readiness. Chief spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the U.S. military retains the capabilities needed to carry out operations as directed.

“The U.S. military has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the president’s choosing,” Parnell said, adding that forces continue to maintain a “deep arsenal of capabilities” to protect U.S. interests.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)