Media raise alarm over US missile stockpile depletion, White House paints rosy picture
Reuters reports that the US has used nearly all of its ground-based long-range missiles ATACMS and PrSM during the war with Iran, sparking concerns about readiness for other conflicts. The White House says stockpiles remain ample.
International news agency Reuters, citing sources in the US administration, reports that the US military has consumed almost its entire stockpile of ground-based long-range missiles ATACMS and PrSM during the war with Iran. The remaining reserves are small, raising concerns among officials about the US Army's ability to respond to potential future conflicts with Russia or China.
The PrSM missile is a newer, more advanced generation that is expected to gradually replace the older ATACMS missiles, which have a shorter range. Each missile costs more than one million US dollars.
An anonymous source told Reuters that since the start of the war, the US has also used nearly half of its Tomahawk cruise missiles stored at military bases worldwide and launched from warships and submarines. The stocks of air defense weapons, including interceptor missiles for Patriot and THAAD systems, have also declined significantly.
According to data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), between February and July 2026, the US spent about 65% of its Patriot missiles, and THAAD stocks fell by at least 38%. Two Reuters sources confirmed that these figures align with internal US administration information.
US President Donald Trump has dismissed these concerns. The White House stated that the US has 'much larger ammunition stockpiles than anyone else in the world' and that the amount 'significantly exceeds our needs.'
