Chinese military experts take stock of US munitions weak spot exposed by Iran war

Stockpiles of Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) and Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) ship-launched interceptors have also dropped significantly, according to a report published by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the US military has expended between 40 and 70 of its 90 Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), the most advanced munition developed for the Himars multiple rocket launchers.

The think tank report also revealed that more than a quarter of the 3,100 Tomahawk cruise missiles and nearly a quarter of the 4,400 stealth Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) were fired.

The CSIS warned that the depletion would further constrain US forces should a conflict arise in the near term, given insufficient pre-war inventories. “A war against a capable peer competitor like China will consume munitions at greater rates.”