---
title: "Depleted Arsenal: How the Conflict with Iran Exposed the US Shortage of Precision Missiles"
description: "🚀 <b>Critical Missile Shortage in the US</b> Reuters reports that the US Army has practically exhausted its stocks of long-range ATACMS and PrSM missiles over 5 months of conflict with Iran. 🔹 <b>What happened:</b> Stocks of precision weapons intended for strikes on ground targets are \"almost completely\" spent. 🔹 <b>Consequences:</b> Experts are sounding the alarm: a lack of missiles threatens US plans to contain China in the future. 🔹 <b>Solution:</b> The Pentagon has signed an agreement with Raytheon for accelerated production of Tomahawk missiles to replenish the arsenal. #USA #Pentagon #Iran #Military #ATACMS"
date: 2026-08-06T01:32:16.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/depleted-arsenal-how-the-conflict-with-iran-exposed-the-us-shortage-of-precision-missiles
tags: [США, Иран, Пентагон, Военные расходы, ATACMS, Raytheon]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Depleted Arsenal: How the Conflict with Iran Exposed the US Shortage of Precision Missiles

![Launch of a Patriot missile from a mobile launcher in the desert, illustrating the issue of US precision missile shortages in the conflict with Iran](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/06/isscherpanie-arsenalov-kak-konflikt-s-iranom-obnavil-problemu-deficita-vysokotchnyh-raket-ssha/isscherpanie-arsenalov-kak-konflikt-s-iranom-obnavil-problemu-deficita-vysokotchnyh-raket-ssha-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The US Army has almost completely exhausted stocks of ATACMS and PrSM missiles over 5 months of conflict with Iran.
- Depletion of stocks creates strategic risks for the confrontation with China.
- The Pentagon signed a contract with Raytheon to increase the production of Tomahawk missiles.
- The cost of one next-generation precision missile exceeds $1 million.

The US armed forces are facing a serious depletion of long-range precision missile stocks as a result of the ongoing military conflict with Iran. This is reported by *Reuters*, citing three sources familiar with the situation at the Pentagon.

According to the data obtained, over the last five months of the active phase of the confrontation, the US military has expended a significant portion of its strategic reserve of cruise missiles. Specifically, this refers to **ATACMS** (Army Tactical Missile System) and **PrSM** (Precision Strike Missile) class missiles.

Two of the interviewed sources confirmed that the stocks of these weapons, intended for destroying ground targets, are "almost completely" exhausted. Exact figures for the remaining missiles are not disclosed in the interests of national security, however, experts agree that the current situation requires an immediate response.

### Strategic Significance and Risks

ATACMS and PrSM missiles are a key element of the US tactical arsenal. ATACMS is a time-tested system that allows for high-precision strikes on targets at long distances. Notably, similar systems were actively used by Ukraine during the conflict with Russia to attack the enemy's rear defenses.

The PrSM (Precision Strike Missile) represents a next-generation system which, according to Pentagon plans, is supposed to fully replace the aging ATACMS. It features increased range and improved accuracy. The cost of one such missile exceeds $1 million.

In the opinion of military analysts, the depletion of stocks of these weapons creates a threat not only for the current operation in the Middle East but also for the long-term US strategy in the Indo-Pacific region. Experts warn that a shortage of precision missiles could significantly weaken Washington's position in the event of a potential future confrontation with China.

### Pentagon Response Measures

The extension of the conflict with Iran, exceeding initial forecasts, has increased pressure on the logistics and production chains of the US defense industry. In response, Washington has begun active measures to replenish the shrinking arsenal.

A key step was the signing of a multi-year agreement between the Pentagon and defense giant **Raytheon Technologies**. The contract provides for a significant increase in the production rate of Tomahawk cruise missiles. This decision is viewed as part of a large-scale program to restore missile stocks necessary for ensuring national security.

### Contradictory Data

There are certain discrepancies in available sources regarding the assessment of the scale of stock depletion. 

While *Reuters*, citing insiders, claims that stocks of ATACMS and PrSM are "almost completely" exhausted, other analytical summaries (for example, data aggregators in Lenta UA) describe the situation as "massive depletion," without using the phrasing about the complete absence of missiles. This may indicate that, while the main combat stocks are indeed being spent, reserve batches or missiles undergoing modernization and not ready for immediate use may remain in the warehouses.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [US is facing a massive depletion of its missile arsenal - Lenta UA](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikAFBVV95cUxQWTV6elZfd2JoWkJ3MFJZYVFabDlUWjJKNS10MmNpV1NpaEFCZHpEX0xreUNQWFloeW01aE9FMXd5WkFtTlhCLTlRNkRDMVlJRmVLUDJqTElHOU9vLXZiYWIwNDJxVG5XSVZ5ZkpJOXI4MlVoaXlReTAyWFJpN2p3c2hwRjFNSFdfUkxObFFkenM?oc=5) - Источник подтверждает тезис о массовом истощении ракетного арсенала США, что коррелирует с данными Reuters о конфликте с Ираном.