₦airaland Forum

The 🇺🇸 US military has significantly depleted its stockpile of key missiles during the war with Iran and created a “near-term risk” of running out of ammunition in a future conflict should one arise in the next few years, according to experts and three people familiar with recent internal Defense Department stockpile assessments.

Over the last seven weeks of war, the US military has expended at least 45% of its stockpile of Precision Strike Missiles; at least half of its inventory of THAAD missiles, which are designed to intercept ballistic missiles; and nearly 50% of its stockpile of Patriot air defense interceptor missiles, according to a new analysis conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Those numbers closely align with classified Pentagon data about US stockpiles, according to the sources familiar with the assessment.

Earlier this year the Pentagon signed a series of contracts that would help expand missile production, but the delivery timeline to replace these systems is three to five years even with the increased capacity, the CSIS experts and the sources said.

Before the war began, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and other military leaders warned Trump that a protracted military campaign could impact US weapons stockpiles – particularly those that support Israel and Ukraine, CNN previously reported.

And since the start of the conflict, Democrats on Capitol Hill have voiced unease about the amount of munitions used and what it could mean for US defense in the Middle East and beyond.

“The Iranians do have the ability to make a lot of Shahed drones, ballistic missiles, medium range, short range and they’ve got a huge stockpile,” Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly said last month. “So at some point … this becomes a math problem and how can we resupply air defense munitions. Where are they going to come from?”

Daguccizgreat:
I say a big sorry to Iran in Advance. You will see what you have never seen before

🇮🇷 Iranian drones launched against multiple American vessels after US warship fires at and boards Iran-flagged cargo ship, reports Tasnim news agency.

Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian drones were deployed against US vessels after American forces boarded the container ship Touska. The report did not specify whether the targets were military or commercial.

Iran had confirmed earlier that US forces seized the Iranian vessel and warned that it would retaliate “soon” following the move, which it called a violation of a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire that has largely held since it was announced on April 7.

Fars News Agency, also semi-official, reported that the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said US forces had targeted the vessel, disabled its navigation system and boarded it after what it described as a ceasefire violation.

Ship tracking data shows the Touska departed Port Klang in Malaysia on April 12.

Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari said US forces opened fire at the vessel before boarding it.

CENTCOM also released video footage through US social media company X showing a US warship warning the vessel before firing.

Zolfaghari said: “The aggressive United States, by violating the ceasefire and engaging in maritime piracy, attacked one of Iran’s vessels after disabling its navigation system.”

He added that US forces boarded the vessel after deploying “a number of terrorist marines” onto it.

“We warn that Iran’s military forces will soon respond to and retaliate against this armed act of piracy by the US military,” he said.

Jakarta:
Get well soon, the bitter reality is the US remains the ODOGU of military might in the world. It's bitter I know but, it's a pill you have no other option but to swallow.

🇺🇸 U.S. sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraf carrier are reporting poor-quality food and small portions during a long deployment near Iran.

Because of extended operations and strained supply lines, crews are relying on limited resupply at sea, leading to rationing and lower morale.

Families say sailors are often hungry, and mail disruptions mean they can’t send extra food or supplies.

USA Today has released photos showing the meals served to some of the U.S. sailors and Marines aboard warships deployed to the Middle East.

Cookies, deodorant, socks. Iran war puts military packages in limbo

Thousands of boxes sent to service members in Middle East are stuck in limbo. The Postal Service has indefinitely suspended delivery amid Iran war.

Dan F. was alarmed when his daughter, a Marine aboard the USS Tripoli, a warship deployed to fight the Iran war, sent him a photo of a meal served on the ship. A lunch tray, two-thirds empty, carried one small scoop of shredded meat and a single folded tortilla.

A picture of a mid-April dinner on the USS Abraham Lincoln, shared by a service member with his family, was similarly unappetizing – a small handful of boiled carrots, a dry meat patty and a gray slab of processed meat.

Dan and other military family members worried that their loved ones deployed to the Middle East are going hungry are filling boxes with items they hope could help service members ride out prolonged deployments in the Middle East – homemade fudge, Jolly Ranchers, crossword puzzle books, playing cards, toothpaste, Girl Scout cookies and fresh socks. But mail delivery to military ZIP codes across the Middle East has been indefinitely suspended as of April, and packages in transit now hang in limbo.