The US military used up nearly half of its Patriot interceptor missile stockpile during its seven-week campaign against Iran, according to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
A report from the Washington-based outlet The hill highlighted significant depletion across several key munitions, citing the CSIS analysis, and raised concerns about Washington’s preparedness for a potential conflict with China.
According to the CSIS study released Tuesday, US forces fired nearly 50% of their Patriot missiles during the operation. More than half of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors were also used, along with over 45% of Precision Strike Missiles (PrSMs), during the air and missile campaign in Iran.
The analysis further found that more than 20% of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSMs), over 30% of SM-3 interceptors, and at least 10% of SM-6 missiles were used as part of Operation Epic Fury.
CSIS warned that rebuilding stockpiles — including Tomahawk cruise missiles and JASSMs — to pre-operational levels could take between one and four years. These weapons, it noted, would be crucial in any future conflict in the Western Pacific.
“Even before the Iran war, stocks were considered insufficient for a peer-to-peer fight. This shortage is now even more acute, and building up stocks to levels sufficient for a war with China will take additional time,” the report’s authors wrote.
While the US is likely to still retain enough munitions to continue operations against Iran, the remaining stockpile would fall short in a confrontation with a major adversary such as China, the report added.
Amid these concerns, US Central Command (Centcom), which led the Iran campaign, said its forces are actively rebuilding capabilities during the ceasefire. In a message on social media, CENTCOM said its “forces remain ready”.
Speaking alongside US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Centcom Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said: “We’re rearming. We’re rebuilding and we’re adjusting our tactics, techniques and procedures.”
“There is no military in the world that adapts like we do, and that is exactly what we are doing right now during the ceasefire,” he added.
The results come as President Donald Trump earlier held talks with leading defense contractors in March, during which he said production of “excellent class” weapons would quadruple.
Reacting to the report, Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell defended the military’s capabilities, telling The Hill that the United States remains fully equipped.
“The US military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to carry out missions at the time and place of the president’s choosing,” he said.
“As a secretary [Pete] Hegseth has repeatedly emphasized that it took less than 10% of US naval power to control traffic in and out of the Strait of Hormuz. Since President Trump took office, we have conducted numerous successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests,” Parnell said in a statement. “Attempts to alarm Americans over the Department’s munitions stockpiles are both ill-informed and dishonorable.”
Meanwhile, Pentagon Comptroller Jules ‘Jay’ Hurst said officials plan to extend multi-year munitions contracts to as long as seven years, with the aim of strengthening supply chains and encouraging sustained investment. The move is part of the administration’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget.
“When Operation Epic Fury ends, the naval assets deployed to the Middle East will return to the Pacific. Ammunition stocks will begin to recover, but restoring depleted stocks and then achieving desired stockpile levels will take many years,” wrote the report’s authors, Mark F. Cancian and Chris H. Park.
