WASHINGTON: The United States is facing an ammunition shortfall after the costly war in Iran, according to a new report by the US Defense Department’s inspector general.
The report, released Monday, warned that heavy ammunition use during Operation Epic Fury created strategic inventory shortages.
It also exposed bottlenecks in the US defence industry that could slow the replacement of weapons.
Iran War Cost $33.4 Billion
The inspector general submitted the findings to Congress in a mandatory report.
According to the report, Operation Epic Fury cost an estimated $33.4 billion between February 28 and June 30.
Of that amount, $22.3 billion went towards expended munitions.
The report said the large-scale use of ammunition had caused strategic inventory shortfalls.
It also identified problems in the industrial base responsible for producing and resupplying munitions.
US Aircraft Suffer Losses
The report also detailed losses and damage to the US military fleet during the conflict.
Four F-15 fighter jets were destroyed, while one F-35 was damaged.
Seven KC-135 tanker aircraft also suffered damage.
In addition, up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones were destroyed during the war.
Trump Dismisses Ammunition Concerns
President Donald Trump has repeatedly rejected concerns about declining US weapons stocks.
Just weeks ago, Trump said the United States had “virtually unlimited” ammunition.
On Monday, he again defended US weapons production in a post on Truth Social.
Trump said the US was producing “more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in our History.”
However, previous reports have highlighted shortages of some critical weapons.
CNN reported that shortages of long-range guided missiles and air-defence interceptors had affected Trump’s strategy during the conflict with Iran.
The US military had also “nearly exhausted 80%” of its THAAD interceptor stock, according to the report.
US Launched Large-Scale Attacks
The United States launched a major wave of attacks against Iran at the start of the war.
US Central Command said American forces struck more than 1,000 targets during the first 24 hours.
However, the US military has not carried out attacks on the same scale in recent months.
The inspector general’s report also highlighted damage to US military bases across the Middle East.
US Bases Suffered Major Damage
Iranian strikes damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases during the conflict.
The affected facilities were located in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan.
However, the report did not include the cost of repairing or rebuilding those facilities in its estimates.
The inspector general said it remained unclear whether all damaged bases would be rebuilt.
It also remained uncertain who would ultimately pay for the reconstruction costs.
