The United States, which has spent nearly $2 billion on air defense systems in the Middle East alone, is running low on weapons stockpiles, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal.

Ukraine and Israel, along with many other U.S. allies, are in dire need of U.S. weapons systems amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s war with Hamas and other terrorist organizations in the Middle East. But the United States is reportedly struggling to keep up with demand and is starting to run out of air defense missile variants, a problem that could worsen if these conflicts escalate or drag on. Officials point out that there is. said W.S.J. (Related: ‘Embarrassing blunder’: Republican Sen. accuses Secretary of Defense Austin of sending shoddy military equipment to U.S. allies)

According to WSJ, the United States is concerned about potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific region, especially given that China is rapidly expanding its military and taking increasingly hostile actions against allies such as Taiwan and the Philippines. The risk of not being able to prepare is also increasing.

The officials spoke to the Journal on condition of anonymity due to the confidentiality of the information. The Pentagon doesn’t talk about its weapons stockpile because it’s classified information and keeps adversaries guessing.

“While the United States meets its own readiness standards, it has not developed a defense industrial base that is prepared for large-scale wars of attrition in both Europe and the Middle East,” said Elias Yusif, senior defense expert at the Stimson Center for Conventional Defense Programs. says Mr. he told WSJ. “And both of those wars were long-running conflicts, and that was not part of the U.S. defense plan.”

The missile in question is highly prized for its ability to act as an interceptor. Ukraine has used them to shoot down Russian airstrikes, and Israel has also used them to shoot down Russian airstrikes, and Israel has also been used by Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Syrian and Iraq-based forces, and Iran (the latter of which supports these terrorist groups). It is being used against attacks from Israel, which has launched unprecedented attacks against Israel since October last year. , when Hamas invaded Israel and sparked a regional war.

According to the WSJ, the US has also used more than 100 interceptor missiles to shoot down Houthi missiles in the Red Sea region since October last year, and the terrorist group shows little sign of slowing down. The U.S. military has spent more than $1.8 billion since last year defending itself and Israel from Houthi and Iranian-backed attacks.

The Pentagon’s difficulty maintaining a supply of interceptor missiles to allies has raised questions about the department’s stockpile, U.S. officials told the Journal. Officials and analysts say the Pentagon is concerned that its weapons systems will be used up faster than they can be replaced.

According to WSJ, producing the missiles needed is no easy task. It typically requires the Pentagon to open new production lines with defense contractors, which typically means hiring more workers, he said. Those contractors are often unwilling to hire more staff without knowing the Pentagon’s long-term purchasing plans.

Some missiles have complex designs, making them even more difficult to manufacture.

“The more sophisticated the missile, the more difficult it is to manufacture,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing in May, according to the Journal.

The Department of Defense did not respond to requests for comment.

All content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan news distribution service, is available free of charge to legitimate news publishers with large audiences. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and DCNF affiliation. If you have any questions about our guidelines or our partnership, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.