US faces critical shortage of missile defence interceptors: Fox News
- Fox News reports the Pentagon is facing declining missile interceptor stockpiles after months of fighting in the Middle East.
- The Defense Department is seeking billions of dollars to replenish Patriot, THAAD, and Tomahawk inventories.
Months of fighting in the Middle East have significantly reduced the Pentagon’s stockpile of missile defense interceptors, raising concerns about the US military’s ability to sustain its current pace of operations, according to a Fox News report citing data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
The report said US Patriot interceptor inventories fell from about 2,300 before the fighting to fewer than 827, while Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors declined from 452 to fewer than 278.
According to CSIS, rebuilding these stockpiles could take at least three years, fueling concerns about the military’s ability to protect US forces and overseas bases if another major crisis emerges, including in the Pacific.
To address the shortfall, Fox News reported that the Pentagon allocated $18.2 billion of its proposed $67 billion emergency funding request for fiscal year 2026 to replenish Patriot interceptors, Navy Tomahawk cruise missiles, and THAAD systems.
The report added that lower-cost munitions priced at $600,000 or less account for half of the weapons requested in the military’s preliminary fiscal year 2027 budget proposal.
