Pentagon ‘struggling’ to replenish dwindling stockpiles after costly war on Iran: Report
Think tanks have once again expressed worry that the amount of munitions used has left the US unprepared for a potential conflict with China
03.07.2026
News Desk
Source:https://thecradle.co/articles/pentagon-
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report on 2 July that the Pentagon has “struggled” to meet weapons systems delivery timelines despite pledges to quickly replenish the military following an illegal war on Iran that cost billions and burned through stockpiles.
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The US program to create hypersonic weapons is being delayed, -
▪️The creation of the first US hypersonic weapon, which is already two years behind
schedule for deployment on the ground, is being delayed again due to unresolved production
problems, -
“The overall average time frame to deliver a capability increased this year to over 12 years,” the congressional watchdog said in its report, adding that the Department of War has “struggled to fully enact existing reforms to achieve speed.”
“Further, several major defense acquisition programs have not set new delivery dates or are delaying critical interim milestones,” it added.
The report went on to say that important decisions for some of the most expensive programs are being delayed.
This raises “questions about how realistic their schedules are.”
The GAO said that “consistently following leading practices for product development could speed it up.”
“Some programs began on a rapid acquisition pathway with tech that requires more
time to develop – slowing on-
The report also stated that Department of War weapons programs have been placed on the GAO’s “High Risk List.”
The watchdog explains how the department continues to struggle to deliver quickly and within the proper budget.
It says some of the programs have not been following “consistent practices” for development, which could better help the Department of War achieve its own publicly stated goals.
Additionally, the report points to persistent schedule delays, indicating “overly optimistic time frames.”
The GAO report comes less than two weeks after the Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin
a seven-
THAAD was among the systems used to intercept Iranian ballistic missile attacks on Israel and US assets in the Gulf, as part of Tehran’s campaign of retaliatory responses to the brutal war that killed thousands.
Several THAAD radar systems were accurately struck by Tehran and destroyed or badly damaged during the 40 days of war imposed on the Islamic Republic.
Late last month, the CEOs of Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Honeywell visited the White House to meet with US President Donald Trump.
The meeting came as part of an effort to encourage military industries to ramp up weapons production.
“The US has enough munitions for any plausible scenario in the Iran war, but the depleted inventories have created a window of vulnerability for a potential Western Pacific conflict,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies said in late May.
Such concerns regarding a potential confrontation with China were also raised after Trump’s war on Yemen.
“The time needed to rebuild those inventories has thus become a major concern,” the late May report added.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies had also said in April that the Iran war seriously depleted missile stocks.
Washington spent an estimated $113.3 billion during the war. Around $11.3 billion was spent in the first week.
US allies in the Gulf also suffered from depleting stockpiles of US interceptors during the war.
In March, a Saudi political analyst said there was “disappointment” with the US for focusing efforts on defending Israel while allowing Gulf states to bear the brunt of Iran’s retaliatory strikes.
Some reports said Israel was running low on interceptors as well.