"Weapons enough": Pentagon answered in the media about the lack of Patrio missiles

To extend: The US Department of Defense has officially denied publications that the US army has only 25% of the required number of Patriot Missiles. However, the mere fact of temporary termination of weapons supplies to Ukraine, including these interceptors, was confirmed in the Pentagon. The restrictions were imposed on the background of concern to the state of American arsenals, especially after the active use of Patriot in the Middle East and in Ukraine. The War Zone is written about it.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Bryon McGarry, the US Armed Forces have everything necessary for fighting and fulfilling "any mission anywhere and at any time. " "We will not discuss specific numbers of inventories or operational details, but our troops are still fully equipped, fully and ready to respond to any calls anywhere in the world. The current assessment of our capabilities reflects responsible planning, not a deficit. Readiness is not in doubt-it emphasized.

" The reason for the official reaction of the Pentagon was the article by The Guardian, which states that the United States allegedly encountered a sharp reduction in Patriot reserves. According to the newspaper, after a massive attack on AL-IUD Air Base in Qatar, the US forces spent about 30 missiles-it was the largest volley of interceptors in US history. Such rates of ammunition consumption, as argued, forced the Pentagon to temporarily stop supply, including with the help of Ukraine.

The publication refers to data from the internal system of tracking ammunition, driven by the Joint Committee of Chiefs of Staff and Defense Cooperation Agency. The internal safety threshold was allegedly exceeded several years ago, and the assistance of Ukraine, according to The Guardian, has worsened the situation.

In addition, according to the Institute of War Study (ISW), Ukraine faces increased pressure from Russian air attacks, the number of which has increased five times since the beginning of 2025. Despite these fears, US President Donald Trump confirmed on July 9 that Washington would send a new Patriot interceptors to Ukraine, albeit less. According to Axios, it is about 10 interceptors - this is less than planned earlier.