Ousted general's warning on missile defense shortages preceded Iran war

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George warned in December 2025 that critical shortages of missile defense munitions would persist until 2030, months before the U.S. war with Iran began.

In late December, two months before the U.S. conflict with Iran started, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George warned that the Army faced critical shortages of missile defense munitions that would extend through 2030. His assessment appeared in the Pentagon's Global Force Management Allocation Plan for fiscal year 2027, a defense secretary-approved document allocating troops and weapons globally.

George specifically flagged low stockpiles of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries and Patriot missiles. He attributed the shortage to transfers of Patriots to Ukraine following Russia's 2022 invasion, munitions expended defending Israel, and reduced capacity in the defense industrial base. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ousted George in April as the Iran war was underway.

Recent estimates show the U.S. expended significant portions of its inventory during the Iran conflict: roughly 61 percent of its Patriot interceptor stockpile and approximately 82 percent of its THAAD interceptors. Current production timelines stretch three to five years, with replenishment expected to reach only pre-war levels by 2030.