U.S. Missile Defenses Strained in 2025 Israel-Iran War:
The Washington Post reported on the June 2025 12-day Israel-Iran war, focusing on the rapid depletion of missile interceptors on both sides. Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles, while Israel—with significant U.S. support—burned through costly defenses at a pace that raised sustainability concerns.
U.S. THAAD Role – U.S. forces, operating two THAAD batteries in Israel, fired more than 100 interceptors estimates often cite around 150 representing roughly 25% of America’s pre-war THAAD stockpile. Naval assets added dozens more SM-3 interceptors.
Each THAAD missile costs about $12–15 million.
THAAD systems, alongside Israel’s Arrow interceptors, achieved high initial success rates but faced saturation attacks. Dozens of Iranian missiles penetrated defenses, causing damage in Israel.
Attrition and Limits – WaPo noted Israel could sustain full-rate defenses for only about 10–12 more days under continued Iranian barrages. Iran’s barrages also slowed as its own stocks dwindled, turning the conflict into a “race of attrition.”
Replenishment Challenges – Replenishing expended THAAD interceptors could take years at pre-war production rates (around a dozen per year then).
The episode exposed vulnerabilities in high-end U.S. munitions stockpiles and prompted calls for faster industrial scaling.
