America’s defense missile arsenal is running on fumes, and Congress is sounding the alarm. According to Just the News, A top U.S. military official testified this past week that the rapid depletion of Tomahawk missiles could leave the nation vulnerable in a prolonged conflict. If that doesn’t wake up the bureaucrats, what will?
The U.S. military’s stockpile of Tomahawk missiles is shrinking fast, strained by recent strikes against Houthi terrorists in Yemen and broader manufacturing woes. Acting Chief of Naval Operations James Kilby told Congress the Navy is also short on torpedoes and anti-ship missiles. This isn’t just a hiccup—it’s a national security gut punch.
Kilby didn’t mince words, warning that a war with a major power like China would be “bloody” and munitions-intensive. “Our stocks need to be full,” he urged, pushing for ramped-up production of precision-guided weapons like Tomahawks. Yet, years of neglect have left the U.S. industrial base gasping for air.
Red Sea exercises have exposed the fragility of America’s munitions supply chain. Kilby suggested the Pentagon look for new manufacturers to produce alternative weapons while rebuilding stockpiles. Relying on a single supplier in a crisis? That’s a recipe for disaster.
By February 2024, the Navy had fired at least 100 standard-class missiles in the Red Sea alone. Each missile takes time to produce, and the U.S. isn’t keeping up. It’s like trying to fight a forest fire with a garden hose.
Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, put it bluntly: The U.S. can’t sustain a long-term fight. “We don’t have enough munitions,” Cole said, signaling that any conflict would need to be quick or risk running dry. Short wars might sound nice, but reality rarely cooperates.
Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison pinned the missile shortage on America’s broader manufacturing decline. “We’ve driven so much manufacturing overseas,” he said, blaming overzealous energy policies and regulations. Turns out, you can’t defend a nation when your factories are halfway across the globe.
Burlison noted the U.S. produces just 11% of global GDP, while China churns out 40%. He harked back to World War II, when America’s manufacturing might won the day. Today, that edge is gone, and national security is paying the price.
“This should be a wake-up call,” Burlison declared, urging a revival of U.S. manufacturing. He’s right—ignoring the problem won’t make it go away. A nation that can’t build its weapons is a nation on borrowed time.
Brent Sadler, a Heritage Foundation senior fellow and Navy veteran, said this crisis isn’t new. “It goes back over 10 years,” he noted, referencing classified discussions under General Mattis during Trump’s first term. The public’s been kept in the dark, but the cracks are now impossible to ignore.
Sadler pointed to an October incident when ballistic missiles, which take a month to produce, were burned through in minutes, defending against an Iranian attack in Israel. That kind of burn rate is unsustainable. It’s a flashing red warning light.
The artillery shortage for Ukraine further exposed America’s production limits. “We couldn’t produce 155 rounds fast enough,” Sadler said, highlighting a pattern of unpreparedness. If we can’t supply allies, how do we expect to defend ourselves?
Responsible Statecraft’s November 2024 analysis warned that a conflict with China could deplete U.S. missile stocks at an alarming rate. Current Middle East operations are already stretching resources thin. A bigger fight would be a logistical nightmare.
Kilby proposed a practical fix: Find vendors to produce effective, if not identical, missiles. “They might be able to produce a missile that’s effective,” he said, prioritizing function over perfection. In a pinch, good enough beats nothing every time.
The missile shortage is a stark reminder that actions have consequences. Decades of outsourcing and regulatory overreach have hollowed out America’s industrial might. Congress must act swiftly to rebuild the nation’s defenses before it’s too late.
