The US Army has exhausted virtually all of its global ATACMS and Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) stockpiles during Operation Epic Fury, the US-Israeli campaign against Iran that ran February 28 through May 5, 2026. Pentagon sources confirmed the depletion to CBS News this week. Both systems were used to strike Iranian surface vessels, submarines, and hardened military infrastructure. ATACMS units were fired from HIMARS launchers deployed out of Kuwait. Manufacturing lead times for replacement units run 18–24 months under current Lockheed Martin contracts. No emergency supplemental has been submitted to Congress.
1
Scale of Depletion
ATACMS carries approximately 300 km range; PrSM extends beyond 500 km. Prior deliveries to Ukraine in 2022–2023 had already reduced US stockpiles an estimated 15–20% before Operation Epic Fury began. Wisconsin National Guard artillery units were among the primary ATACMS firing elements deployed to Kuwait. The Iran campaign consumption eclipsed Ukraine-era drawdowns by a wide margin in both volume and rate.
2
Deterrence Gap
PrSM is the primary US Army land-based anti-ship and counter-battery system available inside the first island chain. The depletion directly affects US deterrence posture toward China and North Korea. During the estimated 18–24 month replenishment gap, Indo-Pacific Command must rely more heavily on Navy and Air Force assets to cover target sets previously held by land-based Army missiles.
3
Replenishment Challenge
Lockheed Martin's ATACMS line was already near capacity before the Iran campaign. Individual ATACMS units cost approximately $1.5 million each; restoring a viable wartime reserve requires hundreds of units. No emergency supplemental appropriation has been submitted to Congress. Defense industrial base expansion faces supply chain constraints on propellant and guidance components that cannot be resolved inside a 12-month window.
The 18-month replenishment window is now the single largest structural variable in US extended deterrence — one that adversaries are certainly reading.
Sources
- ✓ CBS News — US has used nearly all long-range missiles in Iran war — 2026-08-13
- ✓ Janes — Iran conflict 2026: US Army ATACMS sinks sub, surface vessels — 2026
- ✓ White House — Peace Through Strength: Operation Epic Fury Crushes Iranian Threat — 2026-04
- ✓ Army Recognition — US HIMARS Launch ATACMS from Kuwait — 2026
#ATACMS#IranWar#OperationEpicFury#Deterrence#PrSM