A PAC-3 interceptor missile is fired during a test at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, in July 2018. The US has faced a severe shortfall of PAC-3 (Patriot) missiles. (White Sands Missile Range/John Drew Hamilton)

Why Can’t America Make More Interceptor Missiles?

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The supply chain constraints affecting US missile production are structural in nature; they cannot be solved merely by throwing money at them.

One of the sharpest conflicts stemming from America’s wars in the Middle East is the rapid depletion of its anti-air interceptor missile inventory. Months of operations in the Middle East during the Trump administration—first Operation Rough Rider against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, then the far more expansive Operation Epic Fury against Iran, alongside consistent support for Israeli air defenses in the post-October 7 period—have consumed advanced interceptor missiles at a pace far faster than America’s existing defense industrial base can replace them.

Although most Americans do not worry about missile production rates, the problem is non-trivial. In fact, it is serious enough that the United States’ depleted missile inventories are now influencing broader strategic planning and force-posture decisions, particularly in Asia.

Industrial Bottlenecks to Blame for Munitions Shortfall

For obvious reasons, the Department of Defense does not release data on its missile attrition rate, nor the depth of its existing magazines. Still, it is possible to put together a rough picture of the missile situation based on reports of missile use in the Middle East and knowledge........

© The National Interest