Above photo: A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile defense system is displayed during a Made in America showcase on the South Lawn of the White House, July 15, 2019, in Washington. Alex Brandon / AP.
As the United States channels tens of billions of dollars into wars in Palestine and Ukraine, data reveals a concerning depletion in its missile production capacity. Critics argue that the primary beneficiaries are weapons manufacturers, not American security.
Since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, U.S. defense companies have significantly outperformed major stock indexes. RTX, which produces the 2,000-pound bunker-busting bombs used by Israel in Gaza, outpaced the S&P 500 by roughly 46 percent.
In 2023, U.S. weapons sales to foreign governments surged 16% to a record $238 billion, as defense contractors report unprecedented demand and growing backlogs.
Although this may be cause for excitement among shareholders and CEOs in the Military-Industrial Complex, a recent report by Responsible Statecraft points out that these backlogs are not positive for Washington’s defense strategy. The data shows that the U.S. is shipping weapons at a pace its domestic industry cannot sustain, leaving it vulnerable in a potential conflict with China.
American military aid to Israel since the beginning of the war has exceeded $17.9 billion. This figure does not account for weapons bridges set up to supply Israel. In August alone, President Joe Biden approved a $20 billion weapons package. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Washington has authorized $64.1 billion in military assistance, much of which remains undisclosed.
Wow, watch StateSpox respond to @prem_thakker
Q: US envoy told aid groups that US would not consider withholding weapons to Israel for blocking food, that essentially the rules don’t apply to Israel
Miller: That’s not accurate
Q: So you will enforce US law potentially blocking… pic.twitter.com/CPjM9uV0zX
— Assal Rad (@AssalRad) October 17, 2024
It is not just the United States grappling with looming weapons shortages—NATO allies face similar challenges. In February, Belgian ex-General Marc Thys starkly remarked, “It’s not a joke, we’re in deep sh*t,” referring to the severe deficits in European weapons production.
The shortfall has been attributed to a “cultural problem” of overreliance on the United States. In 2022, top European generals estimated it would take “five to seven years” to scale up the continent’s defense industry to address these deficits.
Focusing on U.S. weapons supplies to Israel, air defenses have emerged as a significant concern for security officials. Although the U.S. had an annual budget of $500 million for anti-air systems, this past year saw a dramatic surge, with air defense aid totaling $5.7 billion.
In April, during Iran’s retaliatory strikes against Israel under Operation True Promise, reports indicate that Israel and the U.S. spent at least $1 billion to intercept around 300 projectiles. Following a second wave of Iranian strikes on October 1, which Israel failed to counter effectively, the U.S. deployed its THAAD missile system to bolster future defenses. However, the U.S. possesses only seven of these billion-dollar systems, each equipped with 48 interceptors costing $13 million per missile. If Tel Aviv received even a few reloads, this could account for up to a quarter of the U.S.’s total THAAD missile stockpile.
On Times Radio explaining that the Iranian response to the Israeli attack on the embassy was a clear success.
The West wasted over $1.3 billion to shoot down cheap drones/missiles. Iran gathered intelligence for future use. Israel gained nothing. Also, Iran hit the 2 targets. pic.twitter.com/Ijpnia1p3d
— Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) April 15, 2024
The costs of the American-led multinational “Operation Prosperity Guardian” in the Red Sea remain undisclosed, raising questions about the mission’s financial strain. A January 2023 study highlighted a troubling vulnerability: the U.S. would likely deplete its stock of anti-ship missiles in a conflict with China.
In the Red Sea operation, defending Israel has come at a steep price. The U.S. has deployed $2 million interceptor missiles to shoot down Yemeni drones reportedly constructed for just $2,000—an imbalance that illustrates the mounting economic burden of a naval mission that has yet to yield clear success.
Germany’s faltering economy and strained weapons production capacity haven’t deterred its role as Israel’s second-largest arms supplier. Despite increasing pleas from Ukraine for more support, Berlin refuses to halt arms shipments to both Kyiv and Tel Aviv. The mounting pressures, however, have led Chancellor Olaf Scholz to engage directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show ‘Palestine Files’. Director of ‘Steal of the Century: Trump’s Palestine-Israel Catastrophe’. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47