According to the report, nearly two weeks after the start of the conflict, US forces have been forced to heavily rely on expensive interceptor missiles to repel Iranian attacks. Despite Pentagon statements that the number of strikes has decreased by about 80 percent, Tehran continues to carry out daily attacks on military facilities and energy infrastructure in the Middle East.
Bloomberg notes that Iran has spent many years building up its stockpile of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, deploying them across different regions of the country. Ballistic missiles are capable of penetrating the air defense systems of US allies, while relatively cheap Shahed-type drones force defenders to use costly air defense systems.
Iranian surface-to-air missiles equipped with infrared homing systems also pose a particular threat to US aircraft. Since these missiles do not rely on radar guidance, aircraft often do not receive a warning of an attack until the missile is launched. According to the agency, these systems are preventing the United States from establishing full control over Iran’s airspace.
Unable to achieve complete air superiority, US forces have increasingly relied on long-range missiles. According to Bloomberg, several hundred Tomahawk missiles were used during the first 100 hours of combat operations.
However, the production of such weapons is limited. Elaine McCusker, a former Pentagon official, estimates that fewer than 100 Tomahawk missiles are produced each year, meaning it could take years to replenish the stockpile.
Earlier, The New York Times also reported that Iran’s use of low-cost drones is rapidly depleting the expensive missile stockpiles of the US and its allies. According to the newspaper, a single Shahed-136 drone may cost between $20,000 and $50,000, while one Patriot missile costs more than $3 million.
US officials estimate that Washington’s expenses during the first week of fighting alone reached approximately $6 billion.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), during the first five days of the conflict Iran launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones.
