How Long Can the U.S. Military Reserves Fight in Iran?

Reference News Network reported on March 28 that the German "Business Daily" website published an article titled "How Long Can the U.S. Military Reserves Last?" on March 25, authored by Markus Fasse and Frank Specht. The article is excerpted as follows:

For three weeks, Israel and the United States have been continuously bombing Iran. It is reported that U.S. President Trump has now proposed a plan that could end the conflict. Since this week, the U.S. military's attack capabilities have been diminishing.

According to The New York Times, in just the first week, U.S. military operations cost $11.3 billion, primarily for precision-guided munitions. The annual ammunition budget for all branches of the U.S. military is $25 billion, and the Pentagon has now requested to double this budget. Meanwhile, weapon systems already deployed, such as aircraft carriers, are also nearing their limits. Experts have particularly pointed out the following four points.

1. The Withdrawal of the USS Ford Weakens U.S. Military Advantage

Due to severe damage from a clogged toilet and a laundry room fire, the U.S. military's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Ford, has had to undergo repairs in the waters near Crete, Greece. Military expert Frank Schall stated, "The withdrawal of the USS Ford from the combat zone has weakened the U.S. military's attack capability. Specifically, this means a reduction of about 70 fighter jets."

In addition to the F-35 stealth fighter, the USS Ford also carries EA-18 Growler electronic warfare aircraft. These aircraft are crucial for detecting and destroying Iranian radar stations.

In Schall's view, the exit of this largest U.S. warship is also a sign of the overexpansion of U.S. military power. Schall stated, "The USS Ford is about to set a record for the longest deployment at sea. The last time a U.S. aircraft carrier undertook such a nearly 300-day mission was during the Vietnam War."

In fact, prior to the war with Iran, the USS Ford had already participated in military operations against Venezuela.

For the U.S. Atlantic Fleet stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, the current situation is very severe. In addition to the USS Ford, the USS Harry S. Truman and USS John Stennis aircraft carriers will also undergo major repairs in the coming months. As the remaining aircraft carriers need to be deployed in the Pacific, the U.S. military is temporarily unable to conduct large-scale military operations in the Middle East.

2. Replacing Cruise Missiles with Bombs

Tomahawk cruise missiles are also becoming increasingly scarce. By mid-2025, the U.S. military reportedly has about 4,000 of these missiles in reserve, but a large portion of the stockpile was consumed during last year's initial airstrikes against Iran and the Houthis. Since the end of February this year, the U.S. military has reportedly launched up to 800 missiles—while its annual production is less than 100.

Schall stated, "The consequence is that the U.S. military is currently conducting airstrikes almost exclusively using precision-guided bombs dropped by aircraft. The stockpile of Tomahawk cruise missiles has been significantly reduced, so they need to be used sparingly."

Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), stated that manned aircraft can now operate relatively safely in the region. Therefore, the U.S. military can now use cheaper and more abundant bombs for attacks, rather than deploying expensive and scarce long-range stand-off weapons.

3. Long-Range Bombers Enter the Final Stage of War

The U.S. military is increasingly using long-range bombers to compensate for the absence of the USS Ford and the shortage of Tomahawk cruise missiles. In last June's attacks on Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities, the U.S. military used B-2 stealth bombers that took off from the mainland.

Now, the U.S. Air Force has deployed B-1 and B-52 bombers to the UK. Due to multiple countries refusing to open their airspace to U.S. aircraft, these planes have to take a detour over the Mediterranean. This requires complex and expensive aerial refueling.

4. Shortage of Patriot Missiles Will Be a Challenge in the Coming Years

In just the first few days of the war, Gulf countries reportedly launched up to 800 Patriot air defense missiles. The Patriot is considered one of the few systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles and is also being used in Ukraine.

However, according to an executive from a German defense company, Ukraine is very frugal in using its limited number of missiles, while Gulf countries sometimes use up to six Patriot missiles to intercept a single incoming Iranian missile, with the unit price of a Patriot missile reaching several million dollars.

It is reported that the current global demand is five times the production capacity. The U.S. defense industry delivered 600 missiles last year. At the "Ammunition Summit" in early March, President Trump called on defense companies to significantly increase production capacity.

In the framework agreements signed with companies like Lockheed Martin, both parties agreed to double the production of Patriot-3 missiles for the Patriot air defense system and triple the production of intercept missiles for the THAAD missile defense system. (Translated by Jiao Yu)