The US used a quarter of its ballistic missile interceptor reserves
Iranian missile (Illustrative photo: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/EPA)

The United States lost about a quarter of its THAAD interceptor missile stockpile during Israel's 12-day war with Iran in June, significantly outpacing production. This was reported by... reports CNN, citing two sources familiar with the operation.

American troops repelled a massive missile attack by Tehran, firing up to 150 THAAD missiles.

Last year, the U.S. purchased 11 new interceptor missiles, and it is expected that they will receive only 12 more this year.

The deployment of such a large number of THAAD missiles in such a short period has exposed a gap in the US missile defense network, which is a key part of deterring China.

In addition, a valuable asset has been depleted at a time when public support for Israel's defense in America has reached an all-time low, the channel notes.

THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) is a mobile system that can destroy short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles both inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere. Each battery has six launchers with 48 interceptor missiles. The battery is staffed by 95 military personnel. The interceptor missiles are manufactured by Lockheed Martin and cost approximately $12.7 million. According to the manufacturer, there are nine active THAAD batteries in the world, seven of which belong to the United States. Two of them were used in the Middle East.