Pentagon Report Warns of Critical Ammunition Shortages Following Operation Epic Fury
In a sobering assessment submitted to Congress this Monday, the Inspector General of the United States Department of Defense has revealed that the American military's strategic ammunition stockpiles have been severely depleted. This depletion is the direct result of a sustained six-month military campaign against Iran, designated as "Operation Epic Fury." The report, which marks the first mandatory disclosure of its kind regarding the operation, paints a picture of a military industrial complex struggling to keep pace with the demands of high-intensity modern warfare.
According to the official figures, Operation Epic Fury—which spanned from February 28 to June 30—carried a staggering price tag of approximately $33.4 billion. A dominant portion of this expenditure, totaling $22.3 billion, was spent exclusively on the consumption of munitions. The report explicitly warns that the sheer volume of ordnance fired during the conflict has not only drained strategic reserves but has also exposed critical vulnerabilities and "industrial base bottlenecks" in the ammunition supply chain. This suggests that the US may lack the immediate manufacturing capacity to replenish its stockpiles quickly should another conflict arise.
Beyond the depletion of missiles and shells, the report details significant hardware losses that have impacted US air power. The attrition rate during the operation was notable, with four F-15 fighter jets confirmed shot down and one F-35 stealth fighter sustaining damage. The logistics and refueling capabilities were also hit, with seven KC-135 aerial refueling tankers reporting damage. Perhaps most striking is the loss of unmanned aerial vehicles, with as many as 30 MQ-9 "Reaper" drones destroyed during the hostilities.
These findings stand in sharp contrast to the public narrative promoted by President Donald Trump. Over the last several months, the President has consistently downplayed concerns regarding dwindling weapon stocks. Only a few weeks ago, he asserted that the United States possessed a "nearly infinite" supply of ammunition. Even as the Inspector General's report reached Congress on Monday, September 14, Trump took to social media to insist that the US is producing "superior and fine weapons" at a rate exceeding any previous era in history.
However, independent reporting from CNN suggests that the situation on the ground is far more precarious than the administration admits. The shortage of long-range guided missiles and air-defense interceptors has allegedly begun to constrain strategic options in the Middle East. Specifically, it is reported that the US has exhausted nearly 80% of its interceptors for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and approximately half of its Patriot missile interceptors. Such a deficit leaves US assets and allied territories significantly more vulnerable to incoming ballistic threats.
The intensity of the conflict was most evident in its opening stages. The US Central Command noted that within the first 24 hours of the war, American forces struck more than 1,000 separate targets. While the frequency of such massive strikes subsided in the following months, the initial surge contributed heavily to the current inventory crisis.
Furthermore, the financial toll of the war may be even higher than the $33.4 billion currently cited. The report notes that Iranian counter-attacks caused extensive damage to hundreds of buildings and facilities across a wide array of US bases. These affected sites are spread across Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan. Crucially, the costs associated with repairing this infrastructure have not yet been factored into the total war expenditure, suggesting that the final bill for Operation Epic Fury will climb significantly higher.