US Spends Billions Draining Weapons Stockpile in Iran War
US Spends Billions Draining Weapons Stockpile in Iran War
A new AEI study estimates the US burned through $25–35B of critical weapons in the Iran war, exhausting Patriot missiles, Tomahawks, and more.
The United States has burned through billions of dollars’ worth of its critical weapons stockpile in the war with Iran, according to a study by the American Enterprise Institute. The conflict began on February 28 and has rapidly depleted some of the military’s most valuable munitions. The Pentagon has used more than 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles, each costing more than $4 million, while also firing around 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles slated for potential use in a broader confrontation with China. In addition, the U.S. has launched well over 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, a rate roughly ten times the military’s annual procurement level. Internal estimates also indicate about 1,100 JASSM-ER missiles—priced at roughly $1.1 million each—have been expended, leaving roughly 1,500 in the stockpile. At current production rates, rebuilding what has been expended could take years, according to Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee.
The war has already claimed thousands of lives on the Iranian side, with state media reporting fatalities among Iranian leaders and civilians, while 13 U.S. service members have died in action. A study conducted in April by the AEI puts the total cost at between $25 billion and $35 billion. In the first two days alone, the military burned through about $5.6 billion worth of munitions, according to congressional sources. Officials say the Defense Department is waiting for Congress to approve additional funding to replenish the military’s drawdown. As the conflict nears its second month, the situation underscores the challenge of sustaining a prolonged campaign and the long lead times required to rebuild inventories that are rapidly depleted.
