US stocks of interceptor missiles for THAAD and Patriot air defense systems have fallen to critically low levels, and replenishing them could take until 2030. According to CBS News, Pentagon documents and expert assessments reveal a severe shortage that American manufacturers will be unable to overcome in the next few years at current production rates.

The extent of the problem was already known to senior US military officials in December. General Randy George, then serving as Army Chief of Staff, warned that the country’s missile defense arsenals were running dangerously low. The Pentagon’s annual plan for allocating military forces and weapons projected that shortages of THAAD and Patriot interceptors would persist through 2030. In April, amid the war with Iran, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth removed George from his position.

A major factor behind the depleted stockpiles has been the extensive use of American interceptors overseas. Large quantities were supplied to Ukraine, while additional missiles were fired to protect Israel. During a 12-day war that took place six months before George raised the alarm, US forces expended approximately 150 THAAD interceptors and another 80 Patriot missiles, CBS reported.

The American defense industry is struggling to replace the weapons at the rate they have been consumed. After the Cold War, US arms manufacturers shifted their focus toward regional conflicts rather than prolonged military campaigns involving heavy ammunition expenditure. Production capacity was also reduced, leaving the industry poorly equipped to rapidly replenish missile inventories.

In January, defense giant Lockheed Martin announced an ambitious expansion of THAAD production. The company plans to increase annual output from 96 to 400 missiles. However, even a substantial rise in manufacturing capacity will not resolve the shortage quickly. A US official told CBS News that rebuilding inventories to their levels at the end of 2025, when stocks were already considered insufficient, could take until 2030.

Despite these warnings, the Pentagon has rejected claims that the United States lacks the weapons it needs. Department spokesperson Sean Parnell insisted that American forces have sufficient capabilities to conduct strikes wherever and whenever the president orders them. He also maintained that the US military continues to possess an arsenal ready for immediate deployment.