President Trump said Monday that the U.S. is delivering “exquisite and elite” weapons to troops in the Middle East, despite multiple analyst reports that the military’s stockpiles are dwindling because of the war in Iran.
In a Truth Social Post, the president said he received “a report” about the weapons being delivered, but did not specify who made the report or what it said.
“I’ve just received a report that the United States is producing more exquisite and elite weapons than at any time in our history. They are being delivered on a daily basis to our Forces in the Middle East and beyond,” Mr. Trump wrote.
“Our defense company factories are moving 24/7 while at the same time, building, on average 4-to-5 large-scale brand-new plants, each. A primary focus of this production has been Patriots, THAAD systems, Tomahawks and other standard missile systems, of which we already have large numbers in stock,” Mr. Trump wrote.
The war against Iran has entered its seventh month with both sides exchanging strikes.
The war has reduced the Pentagon’s stockpiles of various weapons, according to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
As of July 27, the U.S. had between 759 and 827 Patriot missile interceptors, compared to 2,330 before the war began in February, CSIS said. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors, which are advanced anti-ballistic missiles, are down to between 234 and 278, from 452 before the conflict.
If Mr. Trump expands the airstrike campaign against Iran, the drop in munition quantity could force the U.S. military to rely more on piloted bombing missions, putting troops at risk.
The Pentagon last month struck a deal with Northrop Grumman to increase production of THAAD and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptors, but those weapons could take a couple of years to be ready.
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