According to CNN, on the afternoon of August 6 local time, U.S. President Trump admitted that there was a 'tight supply' of certain ammunition in the United States after months of war with Iran. However, he insisted that if it was necessary to continue the fighting, the U.S. had other weapons with lower technical levels available.
He also stated that it is crucial to replenish the weapons inventory in order to prepare for another potential conflict.
When asked about the government's request for additional weapons funding from Congress in the Oval Office of the White House, Trump said: "Some weapons have an unlimited, almost unlimited supply; while the supply of other weapons is a bit tight."
Trump stated that while defense contractors are accelerating the production of "Patriot" missile interception missiles and "Tomahawk" cruise missiles, the United States still has a sufficient supply of lower-end weapons available.
US military ammunition information diagram. United States Air Force
We have some types of ammunition, they might not be that precise," he said, "perhaps not as advanced, it wouldn't be considered the most sophisticated weapon."
Trump's statement comes at a time when the issue of U.S. ammunition stockpiles continues to escalate. Reuters reported this week that during the nearly five-month U.S-Iran conflict, the U.S. military has exhausted a significant portion of high-precision long-range missiles from global stocks. The Washington Post reported that Trump asked Defense Secretary Hagel during a meeting at Camp David to explain why shortages of certain key ammunition have become so severe that they could limit the U.S. military's options in dealing with Iran. Trump and the White House later denied any conflict between them and accused the reports of being inaccurate.
As the war continues to deplete ammunition supplies, the Trump administration has requested an additional $87.5 billion from Congress. Of this amount, approximately $67.1 billion will be used for military operations, replenishing weapon stocks, and related projects. American defense companies are also expanding production of weapons such as the Patriot missile and Tomahawk cruise missile. However, it will take time for these facilities to be operational and for actual increases in delivery quantities.
