As Iran's missiles continue to deplete the stockpiles of "Patriot" interceptors, which are desperately needed for Ukraine's defense, this has made Russia one of the biggest beneficiaries of the early stages of U.S. military action against Iran. Before the U.S. launched an attack on Iran, the U.S.-made "Patriot" air defense system had already consumed a large portion of Ukraine's inventory due to production bottlenecks, and also left European allies waiting in long lines for years to get replenishments. These shortages have allowed Russia to exploit gaps in Ukraine's air defense system, severely damaging its power infrastructure, and causing power outages in several Ukrainian cities. Within the first few days of the Iranian war, the U.S. and Gulf countries had already launched hundreds of interceptor missiles to counter Iran's large-scale missile and drone attacks. It is estimated that the Gulf countries' stockpiles of interceptor missiles can only last for a few days under continuous attacks, which may force the U.S. to divert ammunition from its stocks in the Indo-Pacific and other regions, thereby weakening its forward deployment posture in other areas. However, General Gains, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated on Wednesday that the U.S. has sufficient ammunition reserves for this operation.
Lockheed Martin's annual production of "Patriot PAC-3" interceptors in 2025 will be just over 600 units. Typically, it takes at least two "Patriot" interceptors to destroy a ballistic missile, and if the first two fail to intercept, a third, or even more, may be required. The limited production of these multi-million-dollar interceptors, with production cycles lasting several months, and their components sourced from across the United States, even as far as Spain, makes them difficult to replenish quickly. The greatest threat currently facing Ukraine is Russian ballistic missile attacks, and only the "Patriot" system can deal with them. According to estimates by the Ukrainian Air Force, Ukraine needs at least 60 "Patriot PAC-3" interceptors per month to defend against Russian missile attacks.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859076983142473/
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