A single Iranian strike on US facilities in Jordan forced American forces to fire more than 80 Patriot interceptor missiles. The attack took place overnight on August 31, and the missiles used accounted for more than 10% of the entire US stockpile, Military Watch Magazine reported, citing government sources.

Two Patriot batteries were involved in the defense. They had previously been redeployed from Ansbach, Germany. According to the magazine, US forces launched roughly four interceptors for every Iranian ballistic missile involved in the attack.

That rate of expenditure has become especially damaging because Patriot missile stocks were already under severe pressure. MWM argues that Iran’s approach is designed in part to drain US air-defense reserves: even when a ballistic missile fails to reach its target, American forces may still have to spend several scarce interceptors to destroy it.

The financial imbalance is also significant. The magazine estimates that a single Patriot interceptor costs around four to five times more than the Iranian ballistic missiles used in the strike.

US reserves had already been heavily depleted before the August 31 attack. During the first five days of fighting against Iran alone, American forces fired more than 800 Patriot interceptors, according to MWM. By July, remaining stocks had fallen to about 25% of the level the Pentagon considers necessary.

The shortage has forced Washington to look abroad for additional missiles. The United States has also suspended some weapons deliveries to allies and moved air-defense systems from other areas as it tries to deal with the growing deficit, the magazine reported.