U.S. Media: U.S. Military Severely Lacks Interceptors in Europe
On August 27, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington (reporters Huang Qiang and Xu Jianmei) that due to the conflict in Iran, the U.S. military is facing a severe shortage of interceptor missiles in Europe.
The report cites a U.S. defense official stationed in Europe, who stated that the shortage of interceptor missiles for the "Patriot" air defense system, capable of intercepting Russian high-speed ballistic missiles, is "the most concerning." A NATO official also confirmed that the stockpile of "Patriot" interceptor missiles for U.S. and NATO forces stationed in Europe is indeed at a low level.
U.S. defense officials stated that the U.S. military in Europe "absolutely" does not have enough "Patriot" interceptor missiles to defend against potential sustained ballistic missile attacks, and the capability to defend against a single ballistic missile attack is also "very limited."
The report points out that this reflects the chain consequences triggered by a war with Iran. The U.S. has transferred its stockpile of interceptor missiles deployed in Europe to the Middle East, and the U.S. military and its Gulf allies have launched a large number of interceptor missiles, including "Patriot," to counter Iran's drone and missile attacks.
The U.S. military in Europe is experiencing a critical shortage of interceptor missiles, particularly the Patriot missile system, which raises concerns about their ability to defend against potential Russian ballistic missile attacks. This shortage is attributed to the transfer of missile stocks to the Middle East in response to the conflict with Iran. NATO officials have confirmed that the inventory of Patriot interceptors is at a low level, limiting defense capabilities against missile threats.
- U.S. military in Europe lacks sufficient interceptor missiles to defend against potential ballistic missile attacks.
- The shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles is described as 'most concerning'.
- U.S. has transferred interceptor missile stocks from Europe to the Middle East due to the conflict with Iran.