“AND when she got there, the cupboard was bare and the poor little doggie got none”
NATO running out of missiles - five years to replenish stocks!
Lt’sts hope another kinetic war front does not open up!
From here:
US warns Britain of delay to arms shipments
“The US has warned Britain that there will be long delays to missile deliveries as it struggles to replenish stockpiles because of the Iran war.
The Pentagon informed the UK, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia – among other allies – that serious delays were expected for several missile systems.”
Yikes.
“The Pentagon has been forced to draw down stockpiles from other regions, including the Indo-Pacific, to compensate for the shortfalls.”
How much have US missile stockpiles been reduced – from Brave AI:
“Operation Epic Fury (Iran) The United States has depleted significant portions of its strategic missile stockpiles during this conflict. According to CSIS data cited in the context:
Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM): Iran alone burned 45% of the US inventory.
Tomahawk Cruise Missiles: Approximately 1,000+ were expended (representing roughly 10 years of production), with some reports estimating 850 used from a stockpile of 3,100.
JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile): Around 1,100 were fired, representing over 20% of the inventory.
Patriot PAC-3: More than 1,200 were used for air defense.
THAAD Interceptors: Approximately 290 were used, depleting about 50% of the inventory.
Ukraine Support The context states that US stockpiles were also depleted by aid to Ukraine, though specific missile counts are less detailed than air defense interceptors:
Javelin Anti-Tank Missiles: Ukraine received one-third of the US inventory.
Stinger Missiles: Ukraine received one-quarter of the US inventory.
GMLRS Rockets: Thousands were supplied.
155mm Artillery Shells: Over 2 million rounds were sent.
The US government has acknowledged a “near-term risk” of running dry on these systems, leading to supplemental funding requests to ramp up production rates for Tomahawks, PAC-3, and THAAD missiles.
It will take one to four years to replenish depleted U.S. air defense and anti-ship missile inventories to pre-war levels, with some systems requiring three to five years for full restoration.
THAAD and Patriot Missiles: The U.S. expended approximately 50% of its THAAD and Patriot interceptor stockpiles; replenishing these will take one to four years.
Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) and ATACMS: With 45% of PrSM and 46% of ATACMS used, analysts estimate one to four years for replenishment, though some earlier assessments suggested up to 12.5 years at pre-contract production rates.
SM-3, SM-6, and JASSM: Approximately 20% of SM-3/SM-6 and 20% of JASSM stockpiles were depleted, requiring four to five years to fully replace.
Tomahawk Missiles: With 30% of Tomahawk stockpiles used, replenishment timelines align with the three to five year range.
Pentagon officials maintain the military has sufficient munitions for current operations, but experts warn this depletion creates a window of increased vulnerability in the Western Pacific, particularly against a near-peer adversary like China.”
Back to the MSN article:
“The delays will affect the Himars missile system, used by Ukrainian forces against Russia, and the Nasams surface-to-air missile system, The Financial Times reported, citing nine sources.
In a statement, the Pentagon said it was “carefully evaluating new requests for equipment from partners as well as existing arms transfer cases to ensure alignment with operational needs”.
It declined to provide any more details because of the “operationally sensitive nature of these matters”.
Specifically for Ukraine – from Brave AI:
“The United States, United Kingdom, and European allies have supplied Ukraine with more than 80 multiple-launch rocket systems, including U.S. HIMARS and UK M270s.
Specific contributions include:
United States: The U.S. has supplied at least 39 HIMARS systems since the start of the war, with additional systems promised in various aid packages.
United Kingdom: The UK has sent three M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems.
Europe: Germany has pledged to transfer three M270 systems, and European nations collectively have provided 25 tracked M270 launchers.
These systems are highly mobile and accurate, allowing Ukrainian forces to strike Russian command posts, ammunition dumps, and supply lines from significant distances.
The British Army currently operates 61 M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launchers, with an additional 15 expected to be contracted in 2025 to meet a target of 76 platforms by the end of 2029.
The UK does not operate the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS); instead, it utilizes the tracked M270 variant, which is described as a tracked version of HIMARS with double the payload capacity.
M270 MLRS Fleet: The fleet is expanding from an initial base of 29 systems, incorporating second-hand vehicles from allies (such as Norway) and new production units. All UK M270s are being upgraded to the A2 standard, which will allow them to fire the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) and Extended Range GMLRS, with full delivery planned by 2029.”
2029?? I guess things will wait until the UK elects a new government.
“Primary Threats: Experts note that the biggest threat to these systems is not destruction by counter-battery fire, but rather ammunition shortages due to delays in US Congressional aid, which has throttled the rate of fire-missions rather than the physical existence of the launchers.
Total Operational Status: , the vast majority of systems remain operational. Ukraine received 39 HIMARS and 25 M270s from Western partners. By March 2024, Forbes noted that Ukraine still retained approximately 98% of its HIMARS and M270 inventory.”
Hmm! Let’s hope so for Ukraine’ sake else, barring robot armies made in Ukraine, and advances in their drone technology, Ukraine will have to wait five years to fire NATO sourced missiles deep into the Russian heartland.
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Overextension of power has been the downfall of many. Leaving the home base poorly protected isn't what Congress is supposed to be doing. Fire them.