U.S. Media: U.S. Government Concerned About Rapid Depletion of Advanced Weapons Stockpile

On July 24, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington that CBS News cited U.S. military and intelligence officials on the 23rd, stating that as the U.S. has recently escalated its military actions against Iran, the rapid consumption of U.S. air defense interceptors and precision-guided munitions has raised concerns within the U.S. government.

The report indicated that these anonymous officials stated that the rate of consumption of precision-guided munitions by the U.S. military during the early stages of operations against Iran has now become difficult to sustain.

The report also mentioned that the U.S. military is currently shifting more towards the use of satellite-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions and Small Diameter Bombs. In the early stages of the conflict, the U.S. military frequently used long-range cruise missiles, such as Joint Standoff Weapons and Tomahawk cruise missiles. U.S. officials noted that while there are still stocks of these long-range weapons, their use is more cautious.

The report pointed out that air defense interceptors are being heavily used to protect U.S. interests in Gulf Coast countries, where U.S. military bases are under attack from Iranian drones and missiles. Some regional partner countries believe that, given Iran's ongoing assaults on targets in countries like Kuwait and Bahrain, combat should be paused.

The report cited sources saying that to counter attacks from Iran, the U.S. military has consumed a large number of Patriot air defense missiles and THAAD missile defense system munitions, with the consumption rate exceeding the resupply rate, making the stock of air defense interceptors the "most urgent" issue. The U.S. Department of Defense has redirected interceptors from other regions to support U.S. military operations in the Middle East.

The report referenced a report released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies during the U.S.-Iran ceasefire earlier this year, stating that at that time, the U.S. military had consumed over 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles and over 1,100 Joint Standoff Weapons, with replenishment cycles for these munitions taking nearly four years, while the replenishment cycle for THAAD missile defense system munitions and Patriot air defense missiles could take as long as five years.

The report also noted that since the breakdown of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement earlier this month, the U.S. military has shifted its airstrike focus to targets near the Iranian coastline to reduce the operational need for aircraft to penetrate deep into Iranian airspace, thereby lowering the threat posed to U.S. military aircraft by Iran's air defense network and missiles.