Europe fears being left defenseless as US war in Iran depletes stockpiles
Patriot missile system (photo: Wikipedia)
US allies in Europe are concerned that the ongoing war in Iran will leave them without previously ordered weapons, Politico reports.
The EU worries that arms ordered from the United States may arrive late or not at all, as the Pentagon prioritizes replenishing its own arsenals first, delaying deliveries.
This comes at a critical time as Europe is trying to rebuild its stockpiles after sending significant amounts of weapons to Ukraine. Meanwhile, US allies in Asia worry that heavy American use of munitions in the Middle East could weaken deterrence against China and North Korea.
Procurement challenges
The Trump administration has pushed allies to increase defense budgets and buy American-made weapons, from interceptor missiles to precision-guided bombs.
However, much of this equipment is now being used by the United States in the Middle East conflict. A European official noted that the munitions consumed in the war are the very systems that allies are being asked to purchase in large quantities.
European officials are increasingly acknowledging that the United States will prioritize its own interests, along with key partners such as Israel and Taiwan. As a result, some governments are diversifying their weapons purchases.
The EU is already advancing rules that favor European defense manufacturers. Some countries are also turning to alternative suppliers: for example, Poland purchased tanks and artillery from South Korea.
Not only do allies face problems
Within the US, concerns are growing about depleting stockpiles of munitions, particularly Tomahawk missiles, Patriot PAC-3 interceptors, and naval air defense systems.
Recently, Trump announced that defense contractors Boeing, Northrop Grumman, RTX Corporation, and Lockheed Martin had agreed to quadruple production of modern weapons.
However, experts caution that rapidly increasing production of complex missile systems is nearly impossible, as the defense industry relies on long production cycles.
The EU stressed that Ukraine requires over 2,000 air defense missiles per year to effectively repel Russian attacks. During just three months of winter, Ukraine used 700 missiles—equivalent to what allies used in three days of war against Iran.
Officials also noted that Ukraine faces a critical shortage of anti-ballistic missiles, as Russia produces them much faster than Western partners can replace them.
