European and Asian partners warn that Pentagon ammunition usage in the Iran conflict could delay or divert U.S. weapons they purchased through foreign military sales.
WASHINGTON | Growing concern is spreading among U.S. allies in Europe and Asia as the ongoing military campaign against Iran accelerates the consumption of American precision weapons, raising fears that the United States Department of Defense may struggle to fulfill arms deliveries promised to foreign partners.
Defense officials and diplomats from nearly a dozen allied nations say the Pentagon’s rapid use of advanced munitions — including cruise missiles and air-defense interceptors — is straining existing stockpiles and could disrupt future deliveries through the U.S. foreign military sales system.
Now, some officials worry those same weapons may not arrive on schedule.
“It shouldn’t be a secret that the munitions being fired are exactly the ones everyone is trying to acquire,” said one northern European defense official.
Munitions Consumption Raises Strategic Concerns
U.S. forces have reportedly expended significant quantities of precision-guided weapons during strikes against Iranian military targets, including Tomahawk Land Attack Missile cruise missiles and Patriot PAC-3 interceptor air-defense missiles.
Naval vessels operating in the region have also launched ship-based interceptors to counter Iranian retaliatory missile attacks.
