US faces interceptor missile shortage amid Gaza war, global threats
US sees missile stockpile depleting after over a year of aiding Israel in Gaza and the Red Sea; This raises concerns about US military readiness amid potential conflicts with Chinese aggression toward Taiwan and Russian aggression toward Ukraine
The U.S. is facing a significant depletion of interceptor missiles after over a year of backing Israel in the Gaza conflict, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. This drain on U.S. military stockpiles is sparking anxiety in Washington over its readiness to respond to new potential flashpoints in Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific, where tensions with China, poised to invade Taiwan, are escalating.
American officials informed the paper that concerns about a potential missile shortfall have intensified following Israel’s recent strike on Iran, which might provoke Iranian retaliation with another salvo of ballistic missiles. The shortage pertains mainly to guided missiles from the AEGIS system, deployed on some U.S. Navy destroyers. These ship-launched missiles, pivotal in protecting Israel over the past year against direct Iranian assaults in April and early October, are the SM-3 models, each costing $15 million.
