In the first 36 hours of the military campaign against Iran, the United States and Israel used more than 3,000 precision-guided weapons and interceptors. Experts say this intense use of missiles and bombs is putting pressure on the supply of advanced military equipment.
According to analysts from the Payne Institute for Public Policy, Iran responded with more than 1,000 weapons across the region. This included about 380 ballistic missiles, roughly 700 Shahed drones, and around 50 air-defense missiles. Many of these attacks targeted the United States, Israel, and several Gulf countries.
During the opening strikes, U.S. forces used a variety of weapons such as JDAM precision-guided bombs, Tomahawk cruise missiles, drones, and anti-radiation missiles designed to destroy radar systems. Israeli forces also carried out large strikes using Spice-guided bombs, Rampage supersonic missiles, and Delilah cruise missiles.
Defensive systems played a major role in stopping Iran’s attacks. The United States used naval interceptors like SM-2, SM-3, and SM-6 missiles, along with Patriot and THAAD systems. Israel relied on its air-defense systems including Iron Dome air defense system, Arrow missile defense system, and David’s Sling missile defense system to intercept incoming missiles and drones. Gulf countries also joined the defense effort by launching Patriot and THAAD interceptors.
Even though many attacks were intercepted, experts say the large number of weapons used is creating a new problem: supply shortages. Modern missiles depend on important minerals such as cobalt, tungsten, and rare earth elements used in electronics and guidance systems. Because many of these materials are controlled by limited suppliers — especially China — a long conflict could expose weaknesses in Western defense production.
Source: TRT Africa
