WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military is facing a significant shortage of advanced missile interceptors in Europe, described as 'beyond critical' by a U.S. defense official and a NATO official who spoke to The Associated Press. This shortage raises concerns about the vulnerability of NATO countries to potential Russian attacks. The U.S. defense official highlighted that the most pressing issue involves Patriot missile interceptors, which are capable of intercepting high-speed ballistic missiles from Russia. The NATO official corroborated the low inventory of Patriots among American and NATO forces in Europe, both officials requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of military matters.
In the event of a Russian ballistic missile strike on military installations or critical infrastructure, NATO could face challenges similar to those experienced by Ukraine, which has been described as lacking adequate Patriot defenses. The U.S. defense official indicated that the American military in Europe does not possess sufficient Patriots to effectively counter a sustained ballistic missile attack and would have limited capability against a single missile strike or an errant Russian missile.
This situation is partly attributed to the ongoing conflict initiated by President Donald Trump against Iran, which has diverted U.S. missile stocks to the Middle East. There, U.S. and Gulf allies have utilized a significant number of interceptors, including Patriots, to counter Iranian threats, resulting in casualties among American troops.
Although a Russian missile attack on NATO countries is not currently anticipated, CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently visited Moscow to caution against such actions, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. When asked whether Ratcliffe communicated this message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump responded indirectly, stating, 'I don’t want to comment on that, but they’re not going to attack.'
European and NATO officials project that Russia could be positioned to threaten NATO countries by 2030, although they expect Patriot stockpiles to recover by that time. Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine may complicate Russia's ability to launch missile attacks on Europe due to the challenges of engaging in a two-front air war.
The drawdown of U.S. Patriot missiles has been exacerbated by transfers to Ukraine, which has been requesting additional interceptors to defend against Russian missile strikes. Ukrainian officials assert that only U.S.-made Patriots can effectively counter Russia’s advanced ballistic missiles, which have increasingly breached Ukrainian defenses.
Ed Arnold, a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, noted that while the supply to Ukraine was planned, the rapid depletion of stocks in the Middle East has revealed supply chain vulnerabilities. Additionally, the U.S. military in Europe is also facing shortages of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), although the overall situation regarding munitions is less critical than air defense alone due to some European nations possessing their own offensive missile capabilities.
Experts warn that the lack of Patriot interceptors in Europe limits alternatives for intercepting Russia’s advanced ballistic missiles, which can be paired with swarms of drones to overwhelm defenses. While Ukraine and its allies utilize systems to target slower-moving drones, the high-speed nature of ballistic missiles presents a significant challenge for interception.