According to several sources, the war between the US and Iran has dramatically accelerated the consumption of American ammunition. During the first days of fighting, US forces reportedly used a volume of weapons approaching the annual stockpile of some systems, the Financial Times writes.
This is most evident in the case of long-range Tomahawk missiles, which are a key component of US navy strike operations and are also among the most expensive weapons in the US arsenal.
The rapid depletion of ammunition is raising concerns in Congress and among experts that the US military is entering a situation in which the rate of consumption significantly exceeds the production capacity of the defence industry.
The Pentagon is therefore preparing a request for additional funding of up to $50 billion. However, this may meet resistance from Republican fiscal conservatives and Democrats who criticise the way the administration started the conflict.
Some lawmakers warn that the administration cannot count on automatic approval of new billion-dollar expenditures without a detailed explanation of the strategy and objectives of the operation. Republican senator Lisa Murkowski, for example, stressed that Congress’s role is not just to ‘write a check’, but to monitor thoroughly how public funds are used.
The debate also highlights a broader problem of modern warfare. The US is spending millions on Patriot, Thaad and Tomahawk missiles to counter relatively cheap Iranian drones. According to some lawmakers, this creates an unsustainable economic equation that could weaken the military’s readiness for a potential conflict with major powers such as Russia or China.
US officials have warned in the past that the production of some key weapons systems is lagging behind the pace of consumption. Conflicts in recent years, from support for Ukraine to operations in the Middle East, have gradually depleted stocks. According to analysts, the war with Iran has further highlighted a long-standing problem in the US defence industry.
The White House and the Pentagon are trying to allay concerns, saying that the US military still has sufficient stocks to continue operations against Iran and its allies, while working with the defence industry to speed up weapons production. However, experts say expanding capacity will take years.
The Trump administration also says it wants to achieve strategic results as quickly as possible in order to prevent the conflict in the Middle East from escalating into a long-term war.
(pir)