CSIS Report: US Missile Stockpiles Significantly Depleted in Conflict with Iran
A recent report from the think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reveals that the United States' military missile stockpiles have seen significant depletion due to the conflict with Iran. Over a seven-week war, the US military used about 45 percent of its Precision Strike Missiles (PSM), half of its THAAD defense missiles, nearly 50 percent of Patriot missiles, 30 percent of Tomahawk cruise missiles, and over 20 percent of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles, SM-3s, and SM-6s. CNN notes these figures align with estimates from the Department of Defense (the Pentagon).
The Pentagon has signed contracts to ramp up missile production by early 2026, but replenishing stockpiles is expected to take three to five years. Still, in the short term, the US is assessed to have sufficient ammunition to support military operations if the ceasefire with Iran collapses. The report highlights that current stockpiles might be inadequate for a conflict with a peer-level adversary, like China.
Mark Cancian, a US Marine Corps veteran and one of the CSIS report's authors, told CNN that the high ammunition expenditure opens a vulnerability gap in the Western Pacific, with restocking supplies taking one to four years. Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell emphasized that the US military has everything needed to carry out missions as ordered by the president, citing successful operations across various combat commands since President Donald Trump's tenure.
https://www.gelora.co/2026/04/