HIMARS. Photo: Getty Images
US warns Europe of "significant delays" in weapons deliveries
Washington has warned European allies, including the UK, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia, to expect significant delays in deliveries of US weapons as it rushes to replenish stockpiles depleted by the war in Iran.
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Washington has warned European allies, including the UK, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia, to expect significant delays in deliveries of US weapons as it rushes to replenish stockpiles depleted by the war in Iran.
Source: the Financial Times, citing nine people familiar with the matter, as reported by European Pravda
Details: The Pentagon has informed countries to expect serious delays affecting several missile systems. Two sources said discussions also included possible delays to deliveries to Asia.
The delays are partly driven by serious concerns about US stockpile levels, given the large volume of weapons used in Iran over the past two months. The US military has already had to redeploy weapons from other regions, including the Indo-Pacific, to make up for shortages.
The war in Iran has also intensified concerns about whether the US has sufficient stockpiles to deter Beijing or prevail in any future conflict over Taiwan.
Beyond causing alarm across Europe, the delays are also bad news for Ukraine amid concerns over continued US support after four years of war since Russia's full-scale invasion.
The delays are expected to affect ammunition for HIMARS, NASAMS and other missile systems. HIMARS used in Ukraine are high-mobility rocket systems produced by Lockheed Martin, while NASAMS are medium-range surface-to-air missile systems jointly developed by Raytheon and Norway's Kongsberg.
The Pentagon said it is "carefully evaluating new requests for equipment from partners as well as existing arms transfer cases to ensure alignment with operational needs" but declined to provide further details, citing the "operationally sensitive nature of these matters".
The delays come at a tense moment in transatlantic relations. US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised allies for not doing more to support US efforts in the campaign against Iran. Some experts noted that the delays are not intended to punish Europe but reflect US concerns about its own stockpiles.
"The Pentagon may now need to fight a long war in the Middle East and it's also desperate to shore up deterrence in the Indo-Pacific," said Tom Wright, a former official in former US president Joe Biden's administration who now works at the Brookings Institution.
On Friday, Trump dismissed concerns about stockpiles: "All over the world, we have inventory, and we can take that if we need it."
Security experts say US allies in Asia should also prepare for delays. Countries such as Japan and South Korea rely on various types of US weaponry, including Patriot missile interceptors, for their defence.
Although NASAMS systems have not been widely used in the conflict with Iran, the Financial Times reported that the US is preparing a record arms sale package for Taiwan, which will include NASAMS systems and Patriot interceptors. The NASAMS portion alone is estimated at US$6 billion.
"Allies in Asia are likely underestimating the impact that US munition shortfalls will have on them and how long the impact will last," said Christopher Johnstone, a former senior Pentagon official now at The Asia Group.
Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of US Indo-Pacific Command, said last month that major defence contractors could take up to two years to ramp up production to the levels needed to address stockpile shortages.
US investors are increasing their investments in the defence sector as global conflicts drive a surge in spending.
In the past, Washington has delayed arms deliveries to allies. In 2024, Biden paused deliveries of Patriot and NASAMS interceptors to other countries to speed up shipments to Ukraine. However, the latest warning to European allies is more serious due to the broader scale of the problem.
US allies and partners using NASAMS include Taiwan, Norway, Finland, Spain, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Indonesia, Australia, Hungary, Ukraine, Denmark, Qatar and Oman. According to Lockheed Martin, 14 US partners operate HIMARS systems, including Taiwan, Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
Strains on stockpiles are already affecting Ukraine. A senior Ukrainian official said US weapons deliveries to Kyiv have faced delays since the start of the war with Iran. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that delays have at times left Patriot launchers without missiles during Russian strikes.
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