US Used 14% of its THAAD Stockpile Against Iran, a Report Says. It Could Take Years to Replenish.

It could take three to eight years for the U.S. to replenish its stockpile of high-altitude missile interceptors after the military launched nearly 14% of its arsenal during last month’s conflict with Iran, according to a new report.

The analysis, conducted by researchers at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, found that interceptors fired by the United States’ Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems accounted for nearly half of all interceptors used to protect Israel from Iran’s medium-range ballistic missiles during the 12-day bombardment.

While the THAADs — along with Israel’s Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 interceptors — successfully destroyed 201 of Iran’s 574 missiles, the rapid depletion raises concerns about capabilities in future conflicts, said Ari Cicurel, author of the report. “It sent a clear signal to Iran, to Russia, to China, that we’re willing to use our military assets in defense of our closest partner in the Middle East and to help it defend itself and defeat attacks,” said Cicurel, who is JINSA’s associate director of foreign policy. “But it also means that we need to rapidly replenish our stockpiles, and not just go back to baseline levels.”

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The report also found that the U.S. used roughly 30 Patriot interceptors defending Iran’s attacks against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. While Patriot missiles are cheaper and faster to produce, they don’t offer the same theater-level defense that THAADs do, Cicurel said.

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Read the full piece in Stars and Stripes.