US warns allies of weapons delivery delays due to stocks depleted by Iran war: Report

The US has warned its allies to expect delays of up to five years in deliveries of key weapons as Washington works to replenish munitions stocks depleted during its war with Iran, Bloomberg reported Friday.

Several European countries are facing delays in receiving missile and air defense systems, while Germany has asked Washington to accelerate deliveries of Tomahawk cruise missiles and Typhon launchers. However, shortages of the weapons mean Raytheon, a unit of the RTX Corp., may not be able to fulfill the order within five years, according to the report.

The shortages are also affecting Ukraine, which has sought additional Patriot air defense interceptors ahead of an expected difficult winter. President Donald Trump has said Washington was discussing either providing Ukraine with a less advanced version of the Patriot system or allowing European countries to manufacture the weapons under license.

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In the conflict with Iran, now in its seventh month, the US is estimated to have used more than half of its advanced Patriot missile variants, about one-third of its Tomahawk missiles, and nearly half of its precision strike missiles and THAAD interceptors.

Pentagon officials have acknowledged that heavy weapons use has created strategic inventory shortfalls and exposed production bottlenecks. Defense companies are now increasing output, including Lockheed Martin, which plans to raise annual production of PAC-3 MSE Patriot interceptors from about 600 to 2,000.

European leaders are expected to press Trump next week for additional Patriot support for Ukraine during meetings at the UN in New York. EU officials also hope to secure US licenses allowing European countries to produce Patriots for Kyiv.

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