After more than a year of assisting Israel in the current war (Iron Swords), the US is running out of interceptor missiles of several models, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
According to the paper, the erosion of the US military's stockpiles of interceptor missiles also raises concerns in Washington about possible damage to the US military's preparedness to respond to potential new conflicts in Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific region, where there is growing concern of confrontation with China, which threatens to invade Taiwan.
U.S. officials told the newspaper that fears of a possible shortage grew even more after Israel's attack on Iran over the weekend, and the possibility that Iran could now seek retaliation with another barrage of ballistic missiles.
According to the report, the concern about shortages concerns AEGIS guided missiles, which are deployed on some US Navy destroyers. These missiles are usually launched from ships and were the main part of the interceptor missiles used by the US to defend Israel over the past year, in direct attacks from Iran in April and early October.
It should be noted that the missile itself, which is in short supply, at a cost of $15 million, is the SM-3, nicknamed "Standard".These missiles are also critical in all matters related to US interception efforts in the face of rebel drone and missile attacks.
