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← The Price So Far

Interceptors and Munitions Drawn Down: The Missiles That Protect American Troops

An interceptor is a missile fired to shoot down an incoming missile or drone. Patriot, THAAD, and the Navy's SM-3 and SM-6 are the systems that stand between American soldiers at their bases and Iran's missiles. The Iran war has used up a large share of them, and the Congressional Budget Office says rebuilding the stock will take years. That matters twice over for a family: the troops already in the region are less protected, and any ground force sent into Iran would be sent with a thinner shield.

Evidence rating: CONFIRMED that the CBO found the war has used "between one-half and two-thirds of the U.S. inventory of certain missile-defense interceptors since June 2025," and that rebuilding "could take at least five years." STRONG that the drawdown has pulled defenses from other theaters and left bases short, based on the Port Shuaiba record and reporting on commanders' objections.

What the CBO found​

From the CBO's 15 September 2026 estimate, as reported by Military Times and Roll Call (Military Times; Roll Call):

  • The war has used "between one-half and two-thirds of the U.S. inventory of certain missile-defense interceptors since June 2025."
  • "Rebuilding those stocks could take at least five years."
  • Replacing interceptors: "$13.1 billion of the $21.7 billion" in munitions replacement. Cruise missiles: $7.3 billion.
  • Unit prices: "roughly $4 million for a Patriot or SM-6, $12 million for a THAAD interceptor and $28 million for a sophisticated SM-3."

The count runs "since June 2025," meaning the twelve-day war and the strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan began the drawdown. See the June 2025 war.

What running short looks like on the ground​

The first Americans killed in the war died at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on 1 March 2026. The Washington Post reported that CENTCOM could not send the site more counter-drone systems "because there were not a sufficient number of systems available" (as quoted by Sen. Baldwin). See the Port Shuaiba attack.

In March a critic tallied "6 to 7 Patriot interceptors per month" of production against the rate of use, and a "$1.1 billion radar destroyed in Jordan" (Jacki Maniel on X, 11 March 2026, as recorded in research capture twitter/t53__v626.md). The CBO confirmed the loss of a THAAD radar among $1.9 billion in equipment lost in battle.

Pulled from other places​

Marine veteran Virginia Burger of the Project on Government Oversight told Responsible Statecraft that moving interceptor missiles from South Korea to the Middle East, and using up stored munitions, worried officers about a later war elsewhere (a221).

The Washington Post reported in late August, as summarized by Mario Nawfal, that top commanders formally objected to prolonging large-scale operations against Iran. A former defense official cited "interceptors beyond critical in Europe and more than 30 ships pulled from the Pacific" (Mario Nawfal on X, 2 Sep 2026). The Times of Israel carried a headline to the same effect: "US military warns Hegseth that prolonged Iran campaign risking ability to act elsewhere - report" (Times of Israel liveblog). Marine Commandant Gen. Eric Smith said Iran operations left a "gap" in the Indo-Pacific.

Why it points toward ground troops​

When the missiles that make an air war cheap in American lives run low, the arguments shift. Joe Kent, the former head of the National Counterterrorism Center, warned in a September interview, as outlined in English by Akbar Ganji, of a post-midterm "grand finale": "a raid to physically seize uranium ... boots on the ground as smarter munitions run low" (Akbar Ganji on X, 12 Sep 2026; an outline of the interview, not a transcript). Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine told lawmakers "Air power has its limits" (IBTimes UK, 3 Aug 2026). A war that cannot be finished from the air, with a shrinking supply of air defenses, is a war whose planners start talking about soldiers.

Status: Virginia Burger is alive. Joe Kent is alive. Dan Caine is alive. Eric Smith is alive.

Last Updated: 2026-09-26

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