Defense Department’s inspector says U.S. is facing munition shortfall, spent $33 billion on war with Iran


The Defense Department’s inspector general revealed Monday that the United States is facing a shortfall in ammunition as a result of its costly war in Iran.

In a first-of-its-kind mandatory report to Congress, the inspector said that between February 28 and June 30, Operation Epic Fury (OEF) had an estimated cost of $33.4 billion, with $22.3 billion of that spent on expended munitions alone.

The report noted “the munitions expenditure on OEF has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply.”

U.S. Military Launches Operation Epic Fury Attacking Iran

An F-35C Lightning II, is staged for flight operations on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 2, 2026.

U.S. Navy / Getty Images


It also lists losses of American assets, including four F-15s destroyed, one F-35 damaged, seven KC-135 tanker aircraft damaged and up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones destroyed.

President Trump has repeatedly brushed off concerns of depleted weapons stores during the six months of war in the Middle East, saying the US has “virtually unlimited” ammo just a couple weeks ago.

On Monday, Mr. Trump posted to his Truth Social platform saying again the U.S. is producing “more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in our History.”

During the first 24 hours of war against Iran, the United States struck more than 1,000 targets, US Central Command (CENTCOM) has said, and has not returned to such large scale attacks in recent months.

U.S. And Israel Wage War Against Iran

A general view of Tehran with smoke visible in the distance after explosions were reported in the city, on March 02, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Contributor / Getty Images


The report notes that “Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan during the conflict,” but does not include those costs in the cost estimates, saying it’s not yet clear if all the bases will be built, or who will foot the bill.

CBS Sunday Morning was recently granted access to Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Arkansas to see the production of the latest model of the Patriot air defense missile. The weapon is designed to shoot down incoming ballistic missile, but each one costs around $4 million, and Lockheed Martin is currently producing 750 of them a year.

lockheed-martin-patriot-missile-assembly-1280.jpg

Assembling Patriot missiles at Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Camden, Arkansas. 

CBS News


Asked if the U.S. has enough weapons to see the war through, Mark Cancian, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, replied, “For a war against Iran, the answer is yes. The problem is a war against China. We might be able to provide enough munitions for a month, but getting on to month two or month three or four, that’s a great challenge.”

The Pentagon has denied claims of U.S. munition shortages, but Defense Secretary pete Hegseth has been urging the defense industry to increase weapon manufacturing, which Lockheed Martin’s Tim Cahill, the head of the company’s missile division, describes as “controlled chaos.” “It’s just, move fast, figure it out, find what our obstacles are, break them down,” he said.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    WATCH: Kennedy Center says it could close as soon as Tuesday unless Trump’s name is there

    Kennedy Center officials are warning the institution is on the brink of bankruptcy and could close as soon as Tuesday unless the president’s name is added to the building. Source…

    Continue reading
    Chile validated as first South American country to eliminate dog-transmitted rabies

    SANTIAGO, Chile — SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Chile has become the first country in South America to eliminate dog-transmitted rabies to humans, following more than five decades of public health…

    Continue reading

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Volvo’s plug-in hybrid XC60 and XC90 can really go the distance

    Volvo’s plug-in hybrid XC60 and XC90 can really go the distance

    007 First Light On Switch 2 Delayed Until March 2027

    007 First Light On Switch 2 Delayed Until March 2027

    Louis Vuitton Unveils 30 Years of Menswear in New Catwalk Book

    Louis Vuitton Unveils 30 Years of Menswear in New Catwalk Book

    Quectel Announces Launch of Tarrius to Deliver Next-Generation Precision Positioning Solutions for Demanding Field Applications

    Luke Charlesworth: Gloucestershire seamer to retire following back injury

    Luke Charlesworth: Gloucestershire seamer to retire following back injury

    Apple releases iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27 with Siri AI and Liquid Glass refinements

    Apple releases iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27 with Siri AI and Liquid Glass refinements