Allies Concerned Over US Munitions Use in Iran

According to officials from different countries who were interviewed, the large number of advanced weapon deliveries that have been made and consumed by US forces in the Middle East has created a certain amount of uncertainty regarding future arms deliveries to foreign governments. European and Asian partners are especially concerned about the amount of munitions that the US has expended in this region, as it will limit the number of munitions that they will receive.

Some officials are concerned that fewer munitions on hand by the US will also create the opportunity for potential adversaries (e.g., China and North Korea) to expand their military capabilities. Other officials worry that the continuance of support for Ukraine is at risk if the US cannot maintain the munitions required to support its current military operations.

One northern European official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated that the munitions currently being used by the adversaries of the US are the same type of munitions already on contractual order, and are urgently needed in large quantities by many countries. An Eastern European official stated that it is "frustrating since what has been experienced in recent examples contradicts earlier assurances," and that it would appear that the US will place its own security interests (and the countries listed above) ahead of Europe.

The high level of usage of munitions has created concern among many countries' military planners about future capability. Manufacturing today's sophisticated weapon systems is extremely complex; hence, there is a limited supply of available munitions. This is why President Donald Trump has publicly stated that the United States has a virtually unlimited supply of munitions to continue its operations against Iran.

However, during recent testimony before Congress, the US Department of Defence provided Congress members with a different picture of the US's munitions situation than President Trump. Members of Congress were informed that US forces are using an alarming number of munitions, and those familiar with the situation have used the term "scary high" to describe the munitions consumption rate.

In addition to defining a potential short supply of munitions, the concern of the US military's inability to successfully respond to a simultaneous military attack from both Russia and China is stated by Republican Senator Mitch McConnell.

President Trump has stated that the US defence industry will be significantly increasing production in order to solve the current short supply of munitions; however, many experts have questioned whether the defence industry can increase production as quickly as necessary.

In the meantime, European countries such as Poland that have placed orders for weapons are uncertain of when their orders will be fulfilled. According to a former NATO official and representative of the defence industry, some European governments assume that the US will be able to provide weapons to these countries upon request. The former official also stated that this is not the case, as defence industry production does not function in the same manner as the retail sector when goods are in stock immediately upon order and available to consumers.