US has used ‘virtually all’ of its long-range precision missiles during Iran war — sources

The US Army has used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, according to three people familiar with the data, raising concerns about the military’s readiness for future conflicts.

The missiles are principally the Army’s surface-to-surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). The US has used “virtually all” of these weapons, according to two of the sources.

The degree to which the military is running out of ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles has not been previously reported.

The sources decline to say how many of each munition the US has left.

US President Donald Trump launched the Iran war jointly with Israel in February, predicting that the conflict would last a short time.

But as the war drags on, the three people familiar with the matter express worry that the falling missile supplies could limit the US ability to deter adversaries, including Russia and China.

A fourth person familiar with the matter says that while Central Command — which oversees US forces in the Middle East — has nearly used up the land-based missiles it had before the war began, it has been able to reload from US military supplies elsewhere in the world.

Asked for comment on the stockpile data, the White House issues a statement from Trump, saying the US has “far more munitions than anyone in the world” and “far more than we need.”

“Our defense companies are, at this moment, making more munitions than they have ever made before, in addition to expanding their plants and equipment at record levels,” Trump says.