The National Interest: Escalation of the war will seriously deplete the US missile arsenal
The National Interest magazine confirmed, Sunday, that the local stock of SM-3 interceptor missiles in the US Sixth Fleet has been almost exhausted after the destroyers helped Israel defend itself from the Iranian missile strike on October 1, 2024.
The National Interest said that following the announcement of the deployment of a high-altitude air defense missile battery in Israel on October 13, pressures and restrictions began to appear on the missile defense systems in the two countries.
The order reflects US concerns about the number of SM-3 anti-ballistic missiles being launched from the sea, which have already been used against threats to Israel and shipping in the Red Sea as a result of targeting from Yemen.
The National Interest also noted that if the conflict between Israel and Iran continues and escalates, the United States may soon face a difficult choice about how much to deplete its stocks of THAAD and SM-3 interceptor missiles, given their importance in other potential conflicts, especially in Asia.
While the exact number of SM-3 interceptors is classified, the total is just over 500, with only 12 produced annually.
With known tests over the years and recent combat use, that likely leaves around 400, some of which are deployed in Poland and Romania.
According to the National Interest, the former commander of the US Central Command, General Frank McKenzie, claimed that Iran possesses more than 3,000 ballistic missiles, which is the largest stockpile of ballistic missiles in the Middle East.
The National Interest pointed out that most of Hezbollah’s arsenal is shorter-range than the SM-3 or THAAD systems that could be used to confront it, adding that the number of Iranian missiles is clearly enough to burn hundreds of American interceptor missiles in a fully escalated conflict.
The National Interest magazine also added that the potential compromises between defending Israel against Iran and deterring China aren’t something most of the political establishment in Washington would like to consider.
Meanwhile, several western media spoke about Israel facing an imminent shortage of interceptor missiles, while it’s working to strengthen air defenses with the help of Washington to protect its entity from being targeted.
