US warned Europe that arms supplies could be delayed by five years due to war with Iran

Germany asked Washington to accelerate deliveries of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles and Typhon ground launchers. However, the missile manufacturer – Raytheon, part of RTX Corp. – is unlikely to be able to fulfill the German order within the next five years due to missile shortages.

According to two officials, some Eastern European countries using American weapons systems also faced delivery delays shortly after the start of the US and Israel's war against Iran.

The shortage of American stockpiles also complicates Ukraine's attempts to acquire additional Patriot interceptor missiles ahead of an expected difficult winter. The issue of supplying air defense systems to Ukraine is expected to be one of the main topics of meetings at the UN in New York next week.

US President Donald Trump stated that he is discussing with Kyiv the possibility of transferring "a much less sophisticated version" of Patriot or issuing licenses to European countries for the production of these systems.

According to Bloomberg, during the war with Iran, the US used more than half of its most modern Patriot missiles, about a third of its Tomahawk stockpiles, and almost half of its high-precision THAAD missiles and interceptors. The US Congressional Budget Office believes that by June 2025, American military personnel could have expended up to two-thirds of their interceptor missile stockpiles.

The Pentagon acknowledged that the large number of munitions used against Iran in the first months of the war led to a deficit in strategic reserves and exposed weaknesses in the American defense industry that hinder the rapid replenishment of arsenals.

According to a report published this week, Washington is now building up stockpiles of critically important components and certain types of ammunition, and is also trying to reduce their production times.

Defense companies are increasing arms production. For example, Lockheed Martin is working to increase the annual production of the most modern PAC-3 MSE missiles for Patriot from approximately 600 to 2000 units.

Delivery problems have affected not only European countries. In April, the US warned Japan that Tomahawk missile deliveries could be delayed by up to two years. Saudi Arabia also called on allies, including the US, to provide military assistance to counter Houthi attacks in Yemen. However, Washington has not yet announced whether it will provide additional support.

At the same time, according to Bloomberg sources, the US continues to transfer to Ukraine weapons that European allies purchased as part of NATO and EU initiatives.

Next week, European leaders plan to once again ask Trump to transfer more Patriot missiles to Kyiv. EU representatives also expect to receive authorization from Washington for the production of these missiles in European countries with the possibility of their subsequent transfer to Ukraine.

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