jpost.com - Defense news

The US reportedly used double the number of interceptors against Israel-bound Iranian missiles than those deployed by the IDF, according to a Thursday report by The Washington Post.

The report, which cites US officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity, notes that the US deployed some 200 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, interceptors against Iranian missiles targeting Israel, representing roughly half of its total THAAD interceptors.

Additionally, it used more than 100 Standard Missile-3 and Standard Missile-6 interceptors, which are operated by the US Navy and were deployed aboard ships in the Mediterranean Sea during the war.

In contrast, Israel used fewer than 100 Arrow 3 missiles and around 90 David Sling interceptors, with many targeting attacks from the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon rather than Iranian ballistic missiles, the latter more sophisticated and powerful.

Many US allies have raised concerns over the possible depletion of the interceptor stockpiles, with the US not having enough production to replenish the levels used during the war with Iran at the current rate in the short term.

Japan and South Korea are among the most concerned countries, with both nations facing threats from China and North Korea that could only be deterred with the help of US forces in the region.

A March report from the beginning of the war with Iran pointed out that the US was considering moving some of its THAAD interceptors from South Korea to the Middle East.

In June 2025, prior to Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iranian nuclear sites, the US deployed three of its eight Patriot batteries to the Middle East to brace for potential Iranian retaliation, with the system returning to South Korea in October 2025.

A US Congress study published on March 25th on the THAAD system shed worrying light on the inventory of interceptors available to the US in the near future, saying that "there is concern that the rate of use of THAAD interceptors during Operation Epic Fury has further reduced the limited stock of interceptors."

The study noted that the US will need years to replenish its stock, as current production rates are insufficient to sustain air defenses for allied nations during prolonged conflicts.

Jeff's note: Ammunition contractors are reluctant, world-wide, to expanding their production lines without iron-clad long-term contracts to keep those lines in constant use.

Jeff