US warns allies of five-year delays in weapons deliveries

The US has told allied nations to brace for delays of up to five years on advanced weapons deliveries, a consequence of the massive munitions drawdown during Operation Epic Fury against Iran. The warning, communicated to allies in the April-May 2026 timeframe, affects some of the most critical defense systems in Western arsenals: Patriot interceptors, Tomahawk cruise missiles, THAAD batteries, and HIMARS/NASAMS ammunition. Switzerland’s Patriot system order sits at the far end of that timeline, potentially waiting half a decade. For countries that built their defense postures around American hardware, that’s not just an inconvenience. It’s a strategic crisis. The math behind the shortage The numbers tell a stark story. During the Iran conflict, which began on February 28, 2026, the US deployed upwards of 1,200 Patriot interceptors and 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles. A Pentagon inspector general report released on September 15, 2026, documented over $22 billion in munitions spending between February and June 2026 alone, alongside what it called “strategic inventory shortfalls.” Replenishing those stocks is not as simple as placing a bigger order. Raytheon’s current Patriot productio...