The U.S. military has exhausted virtually its entire supply of two of its most capable long-range precision missile systems during the five-month war with Iran, raising serious concerns about America’s preparedness for another major conflict, Reuters reported.

Two sources familiar with internal supply figures said the military has used “virtually all” of its Army Tactical Missile Systems, known as ATACMS, and Precision Strike Missiles, or PrSMs. Both are surface-to-surface weapons operated by the U.S. Army and designed to strike distant targets with high accuracy.

The weapons can cost more than $1 million each and allow the military to hit targets from a distance rather than relying on piloted aircraft to drop bombs. That capability makes them especially valuable against an adversary with powerful air defenses, including in a possible conflict with China.

The sharp reduction in available missiles could leave President Donald Trump increasingly dependent on Israel to conduct attacks against Iran. It could also force the United States to rely more heavily on aircraft and other weapons as the campaign continues.

The sources would not disclose the precise number of missiles remaining, citing the sensitivity surrounding U.S. weapons stockpiles. They also declined to identify exactly how many of each missile had been fired.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the Trump administration is working to expand the production of weapons needed by the military. He said U.S. defense manufacturers were increasing output and investing in additional manufacturing capacity.

The Army initially had a limited supply of PrSMs because the weapon remains relatively new. Production has increased significantly, however, with the military shifting away from ATACMS and toward the newer system.

Military leaders have warned for weeks that American stocks of defensive weapons are also being depleted. Several sources said those warnings contributed to Trump’s decision last week not to order another major offensive inside Iran. A U.S. official disputed that account, saying Trump held off because of pressure from Gulf states.

A recent report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that approximately 65% of Patriot interceptor stocks had been used between February and July. The report also estimated that the remaining number of THAAD ballistic-missile interceptors was at least 83% lower than at the beginning of the war.

Patriot and THAAD systems are among the most effective weapons available for destroying incoming missiles and are currently being used extensively across the country’s defensive network.

The United States has also fired slightly less than half of the global supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles since the war began, according to one source. Tomahawks are generally launched from Navy destroyers, cruisers and submarines, allowing the military to strike heavily defended targets from long distances without putting pilots at risk.

RTX’s Raytheon division has reached a tentative multiyear agreement with the Pentagon intended to increase Tomahawk production. Washington is also working to rebuild its broader supplies of missiles and other munitions.

The rapid depletion has intensified warnings that the United States could face difficulty responding effectively should another major conflict erupt while the war with Iran continues.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)