U.S. Media: U.S. Military Deploys Stealth Cruise Missiles Globally to Strike Iran
On April 4, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington (Reporter Shi Chun) that the U.S. military has ordered the allocation of "Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range" (JASSM-ER) from various regions around the world for military operations against Iran. Most of the stock of this stealth cruise missile will be deployed to the Middle East battlefield.
Insiders revealed to Bloomberg that the U.S. military ordered the allocation of this type of missile from reserves in the Pacific region for the conflict with Iran at the end of March. Missiles from other regions, including those deployed on U.S. soil, will also be transported to bases under the U.S. Central Command or to RAF Fairford in the UK. The U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility includes regions such as the Middle East.
The "Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range" has a range of over 960 kilometers. Reports indicate that before the conflict, the total stock of this type of missile in the U.S. was approximately 2,300, and it is expected that after the allocation, only 425 will remain available for use in other regions globally, with another 75 being unusable due to damage or technical failures.
If the shorter-range "Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile" (JASSM) is included, about two-thirds of the U.S. stock of such missiles is used for the conflict with Iran.
Insiders stated that in the first four weeks of military operations against Iran, the U.S. military consumed over 1,000 "Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range." On January 3, when the U.S. attacked Venezuela, U.S. aircraft launched 47 of this type of missile.
Bloomberg reported that since the U.S. and Israel launched large-scale military operations against Iran, the supply issues of U.S. air defense interceptors and long-range strike weapons have drawn significant attention. At the current production levels, it will take several years to replenish the consumed military stock.
The U.S. military has ordered the reallocation of JASSM-ER missiles from global reserves for military operations against Iran, with a significant portion being deployed to the Middle East. As of late March 2023, over 1000 of these missiles have been consumed in operations, raising concerns about the supply of air defense systems and long-range strike capabilities. The total stock of JASSM-ER missiles was approximately 2300 before reallocations.
- U.S. military reallocates JASSM-ER missiles for operations against Iran.
- Approximately 2300 JASSM-ER missiles were in stock before reallocations.
- Over 1000 JASSM-ER missiles were consumed in military actions against Iran in four weeks.
- Missiles are being moved from various global locations to the Middle East.
- The U.S. military's air defense and long-range strike capabilities are under scrutiny.