The American media ‘The Wall Street Journal’ reports that the Pentagon is running out of some types of missiles defense air at a time when the demand for weapons is red hot. The thing is, inventory could run out before you have it ready. the next game.
“The United States has not developed a defense industrial base that is prepared for a large-scale war of attrition.” both in Europe and the Middle Eastand at the same time meets its own readiness standards,” Elias Yousif, member and deputy director of the Conventional Defense Program at the Stimson Center in Washington, told WSJ. Yousif indicates that both conflicts were not part of defense planning of the United States.
A situation that has raised the concerns of some senior US officials such as Mark Montgomery, retired rear admiral and senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies – a conservative think tank and registered lobbying organization. that has expressed their doubts about the capabilities of the US army in other scenarios that open up in the future. It is the case of Peacefula region that is of enormous interest to Americans.
“Too many interceptors”
The American newspaper explains that the most common interceptors, such as standard missiles, that are launched from boats are the ones under the spotlight. This weaponry is what the US has used to help defend Israeli territory from Iranian missiles and drones, while they are also used to confront Houthi attacks on Western ships in the Red Sea. US officials have said that About 100 standard missiles worth more than $1.8 billion have already been used since the attack in October 2023 and production is not enough. A shortage that could be more pressing if a response from Tehran is unleashed after the Israeli attack on Iran.
The Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singhfor its part, has responded that “over the last year, the Department of Defense has increased its force position in the region to protect US forces and support the defense of Israel, always taking into account the preparation and reserves of United States.” Joined”.
A US Marine launches a missile
On the other hand, the Secretary of the Navy, Carlos del Toro, had already expressed the difficulty of increasing the production of standard missiles. In his testimony before legislators he said that there was pressured the industry to increase its production, because the United States had deployed too many interceptors in the Middle East.
According to WSJ, this greater demand means requiring companies to open new production lines, expand their facilities and hire more workers. “The Companies are often reluctant to invest in this expansion without knowing that the Pentagon is committed to increasing purchasing levels in the long term.». Furthermore, they not only have to answer to the Pentagon, but also to other private buyers. That’s why Del Toro, and Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have turned to startups to help ramp up production of new types of air defense missiles.
The problem is also that the Navy usually launches two interceptors for each missile when it responds to attacks, an official clarified to Congress. «It is basically like an insurance policy to guarantee that the objective is achieved. A single standard missile can cost millions of dollars, making it an expensive way to defend against Iranian-made weapons, which cost much less.
And he adds that “these munitions are really expensive to shoot down poor quality Houthi targets and each one they spend takes months to replace itand at a very, very high cost.
A concern that leaves some important questions in the medium and short term. Especially at a time when hornets’ nests can stir depending on one or the other the result of the US elections.
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