Strategic Shift in US Missile Deployments
The United States military has made a significant strategic decision to withdraw its JASSM-ER cruise missiles from Pacific stockpiles, redirecting them to support operations against Iran. This move marks a critical shift in the allocation of advanced weaponry, which was originally intended for more capable adversaries like China.
According to an individual with direct knowledge of the matter, the decision to pull these $1.5 million weapons from the Pacific was made at the end of March. The missiles, which are stationed at various US facilities, will be relocated to bases under US Central Command or to Fairford in the UK. The individual requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information.
After this reallocation, only about 425 JASSM-ER missiles will remain available for global use, out of a pre-war inventory of 2,300. This number is roughly enough to equip 17 B-1B bombers for a single mission. Additionally, around 75 more missiles are considered unserviceable due to damage or technical issues.
Capabilities and Purpose of JASSM-ER
The JASSM-ER, or Joint Air-to-Surface Missile-Extended Range, is designed to travel over 965 km (600 miles) and can strike targets from a safe distance, avoiding enemy air defenses. Alongside the shorter-range JASSM, which has a range of about 400 km (250 miles), a significant portion of the US missile stockpiles has been committed to the conflict with Iran.
Since the US and Israel launched their air campaign on February 28, the supply of missile interceptors and long-range strike weapons has become a pressing concern. Replacing what has been used would require many years of production at current levels.
The US has been utilizing large numbers of long-range weapons like the JASSM-ER for strikes, which minimizes the risk to service members but reduces the availability of systems meant for more formidable adversaries such as China.
Impact on Military Operations
Despite claims that the US and Israel have destroyed a significant portion of Iran’s air defenses, allowing for the use of cheaper weapons, recent events have highlighted the ongoing risks. An F-15E strike fighter was shot down on Friday, followed by the downing of an A-10 attack jet and two combat search-and-rescue helicopters. These incidents underscore the challenges faced by US forces.
In the first four weeks of the war, more than 1,000 JASSM-ERs were consumed, according to the individual. Additionally, 47 were fired during the raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Since 2009, the US has allocated funds to purchase over 6,200 JASSMs, with production of the baseline JASSM for US supplies ending about a decade ago. Lockheed Martin Corp.’s scheduled production rate for 2026 is 396 of the longer-range version, though up to 860 could be manufactured if the production line, which also produces the LRASM anti-ship missile, is fully geared towards JASSMs.
Future Implications and Concerns
Committing so many JASSM-ERs to the Iran war does not mean they will all be used. So far, they have been launched from B-52 and B-1B bombers, as well as strike fighters. However, the implications of this reallocation are significant, particularly regarding the potential impact on other regions.
US Central Command and the Department of Defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It remains unclear what President Donald Trump’s next steps are for the US campaign. As ground troops, including Marines and paratroopers, move to the region, speculation has swirled about seizing Kharg Island, home to Iran’s main oil terminals.
Trump stated in a Wednesday night speech that “over the next two to three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the stone ages where they belong,” without specifying what that meant for Iran’s civilians, military, or government.
Broader Strategic Considerations
On Tuesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine indicated that the US had begun to fly B-52s over Iran, implying that airspace was now safer for attacks using cheaper and more plentiful JDAM precision bombs. However, along with the two US planes downed on Friday, Iran has also destroyed more than 12 MQ-9 strike drones during the course of the war.
The fact that the older, slower B-52s were only now flying over Iran “raises questions about the degree to which the US has continued to rely on stand-off capabilities,” said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center.
Iran has launched more than 1,600 ballistic missiles around the region, according to Gulf countries’ official reporting, and about 4,000 Shahed-type rudimentary cruise missiles. Defending against ballistic missiles alone would consume at least 3,200 interceptors.
While Lockheed Martin makes about 650 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors per year, the company signed an agreement in January to make 2,000 a year by 2030. The company also makes 96 THAAD interceptors per year, but reached a separate deal to increase that number to 400.
The US has fired hundreds of Tomahawk cruise missiles during the attack on Iran. There were about 4,000 Tomahawks in US stockpiles before the war – including older models and anti-ship variants. RTX Corp. produced about 100 new missiles in 2025, while about 240 older models were upgraded to the latest Block V standard.
