PNN – The New York Times reported that the war against Iran is costing the United States one billion dollars a day.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, the New York Times wrote in a report that the Iran war has depleted a significant portion of the US military’s ammunition reserves and reduced the readiness of regional commands to confront rivals such as Russia and China.
Some of the main points of the report are as follows:
- Alarming ammunition consumption
The US has used about 1,100 GESSM missiles (nearly the entire remaining stockpile), over 1,000 Tomahawks (10 times the annual purchase), over 1,200 Patriots (costing $4 million), and over 1,000 Precision Strike and Atcoms.
- Cost of $28-35 billion in 38 days
The cost of the war so far is estimated at $28-35 billion; about $1 billion a day. In the first two days of the war alone, the military spent $5.6 billion on ammunition.
- Years to rebuild
Experts told The New York Times that some critical munitions were in short supply before the war and are even scarcer now. Senator Jack Reid stressed that restoring stockpiles to previous levels “could take years.”
- Weakening deterrence against Russia and China
The Pentagon has been forced to move defense systems from South Korea (Patriot and THAAD) to the Middle East. The Lincoln aircraft carrier has been withdrawn from the South China Sea and Marine Corps units have been withdrawn from the Pacific. The Indo-Pacific Command has acknowledged that “there are clear limitations to firepower.”
- Destroying American aircraft
In the alleged rescue operation of the Air Force pilot in Iran, the military was forced to destroy two MC-130s and at least three MH-6 helicopters to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands. The cost of these aircraft is estimated at around $275 million.
- Conclusion
The New York Times concludes that the Iran war has not only depleted America’s strategic ammunition stockpile to a worrying level, but has also opened a window of serious vulnerability to Russia and China by shifting equipment from Asia to the Middle East. The $1 billion per day cost is also putting additional strain on the Pentagon’s budget.