The Associated Press has warned in a special report that U.S. and NATO stocks of Patriot air-defense missiles in Europe have fallen to critically low levels, potentially limiting NATO’s ability to defend against a large-scale Russian missile attack.
According to the report, U.S. and NATO officials said Patriot missile stocks have fallen to levels “below critical.”
A U.S. defense official told the Associated Press that American forces in Europe do not have enough Patriot missiles to defend against a large and sustained Russian ballistic missile attack. The official said that if Russia were to strike a major target, such as a military base or power plant, NATO might not be able to intercept all incoming missiles.
The Associated Press reported that pressure on Patriot missile stocks has increased further since the United States entered the war in Iran, as some air-defense missiles deployed with U.S. forces in Europe have been transferred to West Asia.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that the United States has used about 65 percent of its Patriot missile stockpile, roughly 1,500 missiles in the war in Iran.