Washington: The US military is facing a significant shortfall in ammunition following its costly war with Iran, according to a report by the Defense Department’s inspector general.
In a first-of-its-kind mandatory report submitted to Congress, the inspector general said Operation Epic Fury (OEF), conducted between February 28 and June 30, incurred an estimated cost of $33.4 billion.
Of the total expenditure, around $22.3 billion was spent on munitions used during the operation, highlighting the scale of the US military’s ammunition consumption.
The report warned that the heavy expenditure had resulted in “strategic inventory shortfalls” and exposed bottlenecks in the US industrial base that could hamper efforts to replenish munitions.
The assessment also detailed losses and damage to US military aircraft during the operation.
According to the report, four F-15 fighter jets were destroyed, while one F-35 and seven KC-135 tanker aircraft were damaged.
Up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones were also reported destroyed during the conflict.
The findings underscore the challenges facing the US military in rapidly replenishing critical weapons stocks following the extensive use of precision-guided munitions and other military equipment during the Iran war.