US forces in Europe are facing severe shortages of advanced interceptor missiles, a US defense official and a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) official told The Associated Press (AP) on 27/8. The most concerning issue is the critical shortage of Patriot air defense missiles, a key weapon against ballistic missiles. The NATO official also confirmed this scarcity among the alliance's and US forces in Europe.

Patriot launcher at an airport in eastern Poland, 1/2025. *Photo: US Army*

This situation reveals the ripple effect of the Middle East conflict. Washington had to withdraw missile stockpiles from Europe to reallocate them to the Middle East, to replenish expenditures after weeks of direct engagement between US and allied forces with Iran.

The US official warned that if Russia launched ballistic missiles targeting command centers or power plants, NATO could find itself in a situation similar to Ukraine and suffer continuous strikes. The official admitted that US forces in Europe certainly lack sufficient Patriot interceptors to counter a prolonged ballistic missile campaign, and defense capabilities against an isolated attack or a stray projectile are also very limited.

European and NATO officials assess that Russia is capable of attacking multiple alliance nations by 2030, when Patriot inventories are fully replenished. However, the Ukraine conflict could impede this capability, as launching air campaigns on two fronts simultaneously poses a significant challenge for Russia.

US Army Colonel Martin O'Donnell, a NATO spokesperson, stated that the alliance "possesses defensive capabilities and sufficient air defense weapons to defend itself, as well as to assist Ukraine". However, Ed Arnold, an expert at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), noted that while the process of supplying weapons to Ukraine has been meticulously planned, the Middle East conflict is a key factor that rapidly depleted US air defense stockpiles, as Middle East reserves were quickly exhausted.

Capabilities of the Patriot air defense system. *Graphic: Raytheon, RIA Novosti*

Beyond Patriots, US and NATO officials also stated that US forces in Europe face severe shortages of ATACMS ballistic missiles launched from High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). Despite this, the situation with offensive weapon stockpiles in Europe is not as dire as air defense munitions, as some countries still possess their own missile types such as Taurus and Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG.

To address the shortfall, NATO announced that the first Patriot missile manufacturing facility in Europe, located in Germany, is expected to begin operations in September, with products delivered starting early 2027. The first batch will be transferred to the German military, as well as the Netherlands, Romania, and Spain.

"However, at present, some European militaries find themselves in a paradoxical situation, having purchased expensive Patriot air defense systems but lacking the missiles to fire them," Arnold noted.