U.S. military faces missile shortages amid Iran conflict

The ongoing conflict with Iran has highlighted a chronic shortage of high-tech military weaponry within the United States arsenal. According to Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the expenditure on key munitions used against Iran has reached approximately $25 billion.

Lockheed Martin currently produces 750 Patriot air defense missiles annually at its facility in Camden, Arkansas. However, this production rate is insufficient to replenish the estimated 1,500 missiles fired during the conflict. Each Patriot missile costs roughly $4 million. The shortage of critical systems, including the Tomahawk, THAAD, and Precision Strike Missile, underscores a lack of surge capability that was first identified during the war in Ukraine.