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- October 17, 202617°
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US General George warns missile defense stocks could remain low through 2030
US Army Chief of Staff General Randy George assessed that the decline in American missile defense stocks could continue until 2030, about two months before the war against Iran began. The Pentagon rejected the claim that the United States faced shortages of THAAD and Patriot missiles.
An assessment by General Randy George that entered Pentagon planning pointed to prolonged pressure on the United States’ missile defense capacity. George, the US Army Chief of Staff, warned that American missile defense stocks had fallen to critical levels about two months before the war conducted by the United States and Israel against Iran began.
George made the assessment in late December. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed George from his post in April, while the war was ongoing.
THAAD and Patriot shortfalls included in planning
The assessment was used in the Pentagon’s force allocation planning for fiscal year 2027. The document said there were shortfalls in Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors and Patriot missiles, and that stocks could remain at strategically low levels.
US officials linked the shortfall to weapons sent to Ukraine, military support provided to Israel and the defense industry’s limited production capacity.
War with Iran increased existing pressure
The conflict with Iran further increased pressure on American missile defense stocks. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimated that US forces entered 2026 with approximately 2,300 Patriot interceptors and used between 1,050 and 1,430 missiles during the war.
The US inventory of THAAD interceptors before the war consisted of approximately 355 missiles. According to CSIS estimates, between 190 and 290 of these missiles were used during the conflict.
Warning about a possible conflict with China
Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at CSIS and a retired Marine Corps colonel, said missile defense systems would play a critical role in a possible conflict with China.
"Air defense and missile defense will be very important."
Cancian said a large-scale conflict with Beijing would require a high number of interceptors.
Production and procurement take years
Replenishing stocks with new missiles takes a long time. According to CSIS data, completing contracts for new THAAD interceptors takes more than four years. The average delivery time for Patriot PAC-3 orders reaches 3.5 years.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell rejected claims that the United States faced ammunition shortages. Parnell said, "Claims that the United States is experiencing ammunition shortages are false," and argued that Washington has everything it needs to conduct an attack at the time and place chosen by the president.
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