The US fired over $22 billion in munitions fighting Iran and created stockpile shortages in the process, watchdog finds

US forces expended more than $22 billion in weapons fighting Iran, a new Pentagon watchdog report revealed. US Navy photo The US military fired $22 billion in weapons fighting Iran, a new watchdog report has found. The high expenditure rate has created shortages of strategic munitions. Experts have warned that the US could find itself insufficiently armed for a future conflict. US forces fired more than $22 billion in munitions fighting Iran this year, draining critical weapons stockpiles in the process, a new Defense Department watchdog report says. The Pentagon inspector general's report, which was published Monday evening, estimated the cost of Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28, to be $33.4 billion as of June 29. That tally includes $22.3 billion for expended munitions. The new report, which offers a fresh account of the war's financial impact, cites the munitions expenditure figure to the Pentagon's budget office and said the estimate was based on replacement costs. Munitions expenditure during the war "has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply," the report said. To address the issues, the report said, the Pentagon "is working to streamline procurement processes and production lead times" and to stockpile critical materials, components, and munitions. The White House and Pentagon leadership have repeatedly denied any reports of munitions shortages during the Iran war. Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, told CBS News recently that he was "not concerned" about munitions inventories and said the US is "armed and ready for any contingency." A US Marine Corps F-35 takes off in the Middle East. US Marine Corps photo US forces struck more than 13,000 Iranian targets during the first few weeks of the conflict, employing expensive missiles launched from fighter jets, warships, and ground-based launchers. American troops and assets also fired high-end interceptors to defend against Tehran's missiles and drones. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a US think tank, assessed in late May that American forces had already fired thousands of cruise missiles and missile interceptors, draining pre-war stockpiles. CSIS found that Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and certain key interceptors — such as those launched from Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and Patriot batteries — would take years to return to pre-war inventory levels. These munitions cost millions of dollars apiece. While the pace of combat operations has decreased significantly since May, the US continued to trade strikes with Iran throughout the summer, further straining critical munitions stockpiles. The high rate of munitions expenditure has raised concerns that the US military may not be sufficiently armed for a future conflict against a near-peer adversary such as China or Russia, particularly with regard to stockpiles of long-range and standoff weapons. "Even before the current war, many analyses showed a need for larger munition inventories," CSIS experts wrote in July. "Operation Epic Fury has exacerbated this munitions problem, and a multiyear rebuild now looms ahead." The Pentagon inspector general's report also found that the US lost $3.7 billion in equipment during the war. Dozens of US military aircraft were damaged or destroyed, including fighter jets, refueling planes, combat drones, and helicopters. Some of the aircraft were struck by Iranian fire at their bases, while others were hit in the air during combat sorties or brought down by friendly forces. Read the original article on Business Insider