The United States has warned its allies that deliveries of some key missiles and air defense systems could be delayed by up to five years due to the need to replenish its own depleted stockpiles. The shortage could also complicate Ukraine’s efforts to obtain more Patriot interceptor missiles ahead of winter, Bloomberg reports, according to UNN.
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U.S. stockpiles have declined significantly during the war with Iran. According to estimates, the United States has used more than half of its stockpile of the most advanced variants of Patriot missiles, one-third of its Tomahawks, and nearly half of its precision-strike missiles and THAAD interceptors.
In particular, Germany asked the United States to expedite the delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles and Typhon ground-based launchers. However, given the state of U.S. stockpiles, the missile manufacturer is unlikely to be able to fulfill the order within the next five years.
The shortage could affect deliveries to Ukraine
The Pentagon’s decision to prioritize replenishing its own arsenals complicates Kyiv’s efforts to obtain additional Patriot interceptor missiles. Strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses is expected to be one of the key topics during meetings of world leaders in New York next week.
U.S. President Donald Trump previously said that the possibility of transferring a "much less complex version" of the Patriot to Ukraine, or granting European countries licenses to produce the weapon, was being discussed.
According to Bloomberg, U.S. defense companies are already trying to sharply increase production. Lockheed Martin is working to raise annual capacity from approximately 600 to 2,000 PAC-3 MSE missile segments.
Despite the shortage, the United States continues to supply Ukraine with weapons purchased by European allies through NATO and EU mechanisms. European leaders also plan to urge Trump during next week’s meetings to provide Ukraine with more Patriot missiles.