600-mile strike advance: US deploys deadly long-range missiles for Iran war – report

The United States will use nearly its entire stockpile of stealthy, long-range JASSM-ER cruise missiles for its ongoing military campaign against Iran, which will significantly deplete stockpiles earmarked for other areas, Bloomberg reported.Citing a person with direct knowledge of the matter, Bloomberg reported that $1.5 million worth of missiles were ordered to be withdrawn from the Pacific stockpile in late March, and more weapons from the continental United States and other locations were moved to the U.S. Central Command base and Fairford, England.The report said that after redeployment, only about 425 JASSM-ER missiles remained in the pre-war inventory of about 2,300. About 75 more are considered “unusable” due to damage or technical glitches. The remaining operational inventory is sufficient to fly approximately 17 B-1B bomber missions.JASSM-ER (Joint Air-to-Surface Missile Extended Range) has a strike range of more than 600 miles and is designed to engage targets at long distances while avoiding enemy air defenses. With the exception of the short-range JASSM, which has a range of about 250 miles, nearly two-thirds of the U.S. inventory is now allocated to respond to the Iran conflict.The intensive use of long-range precision weapons comes as U.S. and Israeli forces continue airstrikes launched on February 28. Reports state that more than 1,000 JASSM-ER missiles were consumed in the first four weeks of the war alone.While such weapons can reduce personnel risk through long-range strikes, their rapid depletion has strained stockpiles intended for potential conflicts with more advanced adversaries such as China. At current production rates, replenishing these inventories could take years.Although Washington and its allies claim to have weakened a significant portion of Iran’s air defense network, the recent losses indicate that risks remain. According to the New York Times, a U.S. F-15E fighter jet was shot down on Friday, followed by an A-10 attack plane and two combat search and rescue helicopters damaged. Iran also reportedly destroyed more than a dozen MQ-9 drones during the conflict.Despite the size of the deployment, not all of the missiles already in service are expected to be used. So far, JASSM-ER has been launched from B-52 and B-1B bombers as well as strike fighters.The United States has financed the purchase of more than 6,200 JASSM missiles since 2009, although production of the baseline model ended about a decade ago. Manufacturer Lockheed Martin expects to produce 396 JASSM-ER missiles in 2026, with the potential to expand to 860 missiles per year if the production line is fully dedicated.U.S. Central Command and the Department of Defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment.‘Stone Age’ Warnings and Changing Battlefield DynamicsEven as more ground troops, including Marines and paratroopers, are deployed to the region, uncertainty remains over the next phase of the U.S. campaign. Speculation has intensified about a possible move to seize Khag Island, a key hub for Iran’s oil exports.President Donald Trump said in a speech Wednesday night that “over the next two to three weeks, we are going to take them back to the Stone Age where they belong,” without clarifying whether the phrase was referring to Iran’s military, government or civilian infrastructure.U.S. military officials have said they are changing tactics. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said B-52 bombers have begun flying over Iran, demonstrating improved access to airspace and allowing the use of cheaper JDAM precision-guided bombs.Analysts, however, have questioned the reliance so far on standoff weapons. “It raises questions about the extent to which the United States continues to rely on standoff capabilities,” Stimson Center senior fellow Kelly Grieco said of the delayed deployment of older B-52 bombers.The conflict has also put pressure on missile defense systems. According to Gulf officials, Iran has launched more than 1,600 ballistic missiles and about 4,000 Shahd-type cruise missiles in the region. Intercepting ballistic threats alone would require at least 3,200 interceptor missiles.Production constraints remain a concern. Lockheed Martin currently produces about 650 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors per year and plans to expand production to 2,000 per year by 2030. The production of THAAD interceptors is 96 per year, with an agreement to increase production to 400.At the same time, the United States launched hundreds of Tomahawk cruise missiles in this battle. Before the war, the U.S. inventory included approximately 4,000 Tomahawks, including older and anti-ship models. RTX Corp. is producing about 100 new missiles through 2025, while about 240 older models are upgraded to the latest Block V configuration.