Trump dismisses reports of depleted US missile stockpiles

US President Donald Trump said the United States "has ammunition stockpiles that far exceed its needs."

He added during an interview with Fox News that "American defense companies are currently producing ammunition in quantities surpassing any previous levels, alongside an unprecedented expansion in their manufacturing capabilities and equipment."

Sources in the US military had said that most long-range, precision-guided weapons and missiles have been used up during the ongoing war with Iran over the past five months, raising concerns within the US administration about the armed forces' readiness should a new conflict erupt with adversaries such as Russia or China.

Reuters quoted sources as saying that the United States has used "almost" all of its ATACMS and PrSM missiles, two of the most important long-range ground weapons in the US Army's arsenal. One source said Washington has also depleted nearly half of its global stockpile of Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are launched from ships, although this figure could not be independently verified.

Another source said US Central Command, responsible for operations in the Middle East, has consumed nearly all of its land-based missiles it had before the war, but managed to offset some of the shortage by transferring munitions from US stockpiles in other parts of the world.