Benjamin Cook
In reaction to Israel’s aggression on Iran, the latter has launched more than 1,400 projectiles — according to Israeli statistics: roughly 550 ballistic missiles and over 1,000 drones — in the course of 12 days. Israel and allies intercepted most of them with layered defenses, the United States played a critical role, deploying two of its army’s seven THAAD batteries and supplying roughly 80 SM-3 interceptors from warships of the US Navy. The cost to replenish those systems is expected to top $2 billion, with delivery timelines stretching years.
This was just a preview.
The Iranian missile strikes have forced U.S. stockpiles to contract in real time, revealing the uncomfortable truth that even a moderate regional crisis—against a single ally, over less than two weeks—was enough to trigger resource strain. Meanwhile, Ukraine faces similar challenges daily and on a larger scale. The United States has committed itself to helping both, but without major changes to its industrial posture, it may soon be unable to help either, or itself.
It may be time to bring in Raytheon and Lockheed Martin and have a direct conversation about nationalization. If they can’t meet cost and delivery targets that align with U.S. magazine depth requirements, the government has both the authority and the responsibility to act. The risk is no longer theoretical. If a modest regional conflict requires this level of depletion, a larger one could expose the United States as incapable of defending itself and its allies.
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The Era of Peacetime Production Is Over
America’s adversaries have spent years reorganizing their economies to support military goals. Russia has raised defense spending above 6% of GDP and moved to 24/7 munitions production. China has expanded military spending steadily for two decades, integrating dual-use infrastructure and technology into every level of state policy. Iran and North Korea continue to develop long-range strike capabilities and deploy them via proxies and regional threats.
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