US stocks of Patriot missiles have fallen so sharply that Washington has begun redirecting some munitions already purchased and paid for by European allies to replenish its own arsenals, retired US Army Colonel Robert Hamilton said.
According to Hamilton, the United States no longer has spare Patriot missiles available for transfer to other countries. Washington needs the interceptors for its own potential requirements across several regions at once, including the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific and Europe.
Against that backdrop, the US is taking missiles originally bought by European partners and allies and using them to rebuild American stockpiles, Hamilton said.
The strain on US missile reserves became particularly severe during the military conflict with Iran. Speaking to PBS News journalist, Hamilton said the United States had around 2,330 Patriot missiles before the war began. That number has since fallen to roughly 800.
That means the US has already used close to two-thirds of the Patriot missiles it previously had in stock.
American industry is not currently able to replace those losses quickly. Hamilton estimated that US defense manufacturers produce about 600 Patriot missiles a year. A contract intended to raise annual production to 2,000 missiles is not expected to be fully implemented until 2032.
The shortage extends beyond the Patriot system. Hamilton said Pentagon weapons inventories have been depleted more broadly, with ATACMS missiles also remaining in short supply.
As a result, the United States could find itself in a vulnerable position if it were forced to take part in several armed conflicts at the same time.