U.S. Military Faces 'Beyond Critical' Shortage of Advanced Anti-Missile Rockets in Europe

A U.S. defense official in Europe and a NATO official told Associated Press that the U.S. military is facing a shortage "beyond the critical level" of advanced anti-missile rocket stockpiles in Europe, largely due to President Donald Trump's war on Iran.

The most concerning shortfall involves Patriot interceptors, capable of shooting down high-speed Russian ballistic missiles.

NATO officials confirmed declining Patriot rocket inventories among U.S. and alliance forces in Europe, with both officials speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the military matters discussed.

The U.S. defense official explained that in the event Russia launched a ballistic missile attack—on a military base or power station, for example—the alliance could find itself in a situation similar to Ukraine’s, which suffers from a Patriot missile shortage, potentially forced to "take blow after blow."

He added that U.S. forces in Europe "certainly" do not have enough Patriot missiles to counter any sustained ballistic missile attack, and their capability would be "extremely limited" even when facing a single ballistic missile or a wayward Russian missile veering off course.

This situation reflects the cascading consequences of Trump’s decision to wage war on Iran, now entering its sixth month next Friday, as significant quantities of U.S. missile stockpiles in Europe have been transferred to the Middle East, where the United States and its Gulf allies have used large numbers of interceptors—including Patriots—to counter Iranian drones and missiles.

Some of these attacks have resulted in American military casualties. The shortage raises concerns about how vulnerable NATO countries might be to a potential Russian attack.