It raises concerns about any future American conflict.
By Catholics for Catholics
The U.S. Army has depleted much of its reserve of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, according to three people familiar with the data, raising doubts about the military’s preparedness for future clashes.
Known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), the missiles are chiefly the Army’s surface-to-surface weapons, according to a story by Newsmax. The U.S. has used “virtually all” of these weapons, according to two of the sources.
Newsmax reported that the level to which the military is running out of ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles has not been previously reported.
The long-range munitions – which cost more than $1 million each – are an important part of the military’s arsenal, allowing accurate strikes from a safe distance. U.S.-supplied ATACMS have played a key role in the war in Ukraine, allowing Ukrainian forces to attack targets inside Russia.
When asked for comment on the stockpile issue, the White House issued a statement from Trump, saying the U.S. had “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 said.
Analysts concur that certain munitions, including artillery shells and several types of missiles, are being produced at record levels but warn that supplies might fail to do what is needed for a long-drawn-out war.
Two key companies stayed mum about the problem.
Lockheed Martin, which makes the ATACMS and PrSMs, along with the anti-ballistic missile THAAD system, did not immediately respond to questions about Trump’s statements or about supply levels. Raytheon, which makes Tomahawk missiles and Patriot interceptors, two important U.S. weapons, also did not immediately respond.
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