Washington (TDI): US forces used as many as 70 Patriot interceptors and more than a dozen THAAD interceptors to counter a recent Iranian ballistic missile attack on Jordan, according to The Wall Street Journal, highlighting pressure on Washington’s air-defense inventories amid the continuing conflict.
The newspaper, citing US and regional officials familiar with the incident, reported that American forces launched between 60 and 70 Patriot interceptors against an Iranian attack involving around 20 ballistic missiles. More than a dozen Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors were also fired.
The number of interceptors used in the attack was roughly equivalent to the quantity US forces had expended over an entire week at some other points during the conflict, according to the report.
Iran reportedly used warheads capable of separating into multiple projectiles as they approached their targets, making interception more difficult. The attack also managed to strike fighter jets and other aircraft at Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, although no US personnel were killed, the Journal reported.
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The report comes amid differing assessments of the condition of US interceptor stocks. President Donald Trump also said on Monday that the United States maintained substantial interceptor stocks and was increasing production.
However, a report by the Defense Department’s inspector general this week said the conflict had “resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply.”
According to officials cited by the Journal, Iranian attacks have become increasingly complex, with Tehran employing different missile types, trajectories, manoeuvres and warhead configurations in attempts to penetrate US air defenses.
By mid-July, US forces had used approximately 1,700 Patriot interceptors and more than 200 THAAD interceptors during the conflict, according to officials cited in the report.
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US Navy ships had separately fired around 150 Standard Missile interceptors against Iranian missiles and drones. The figures underscore the scale of the air-defense effort as American forces seek to protect military installations and personnel across the Middle East from repeated missile and drone attacks.
