The upcoming phases of the US military operation against Iran will utilize almost its entire stock of stealthy JASSM-ER cruise missiles, reallocating them from inventory reserves in other regions.
An order to withdraw the $1.5 million weapon from Pacific reserves was issued at the end of March, according to a source familiar with the situation. Missiles located at US bases in other regions, including the continental US, will be redirected to US Central Command bases or Fairford in the UK, said the source, who chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the information.
After these relocations, only around 425 JASSM-ER missiles out of a pre-war total of 2,300 will be left available for deployment globally. This amount would roughly suffice for 17 B-1B bombers on a single mission. Additionally, about 75 missiles are currently “unserviceable” due to damage or technical issues.
The JASSM-ER, or Joint Air-to-Surface Missile-Extended Range, has a range exceeding 600 miles and was designed to engage targets from a safer distance to evade enemy air defenses.
Combined with the shorter-range JASSM, which has a range of approximately 250 miles, about two-thirds of US stockpiles have been allocated to the conflict with Iran, according to the source.
The availability of missile interceptors and long-range strike systems has become a concern since the US and Israel commenced their air operations on February 28. Replenishing what has been deployed would require years of production at current rates.
The US has been employing significant numbers of long-range weapons like JASSM-ER for strikes, minimizing risks to personnel, but at the cost of depleting reserves intended for more capable adversaries such as China.
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The US and Israel have claimed to have neutralized a considerable portion of Iran’s air defense systems, enabling the use of less expensive munitions for targeting within the country. However, a US F-15E strike fighter was downed on Friday, followed soon after by the loss of an A-10 attack jet, along with two combat search-and-rescue helicopters affected by Iranian fire, as reported by the New York Times.
During the initial four weeks of the conflict, US operations utilized over 1,000 JASSM-ERs, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information. US aircraft also deployed 47 during the mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the source added.
Since 2009, the US has earmarked funds for the acquisition of over 6,200 JASSMs, although production of the baseline JASSM for domestic stockpiles concluded roughly a decade ago.
Lockheed Martin Corp. plans to produce 396 of the longer-range models in 2026, though the capacity could expand to as many as 860 if the manufacturing line, which also produces the LRASM anti-ship missile, is fully optimized for JASSM production.
The commitment of a large number of JASSM-ERs to the Iran conflict does not guarantee their actual deployment. Thus far, these missiles have been launched from B-52s, B-1B bombers, and strike fighters.
US Central Command and the Department of Defense did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
‘Stone Ages’
It remains uncertain what President Donald Trump intends for the next phases of the US campaign. As ground forces, including Marines and paratroopers, advance into the region, speculation has arisen regarding the potential seizure of Kharg Island, which hosts Iran’s principal oil terminals.
In a speech on Wednesday night, Trump declared that “over the next two to three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the stone ages where they belong,” without clarifying what that entails for Iran’s civilian population, military, or government.
On Tuesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine mentioned that the US had started conducting flights with B-52s over Iran, indicating that the airspace is now considered safer for deploying more economical JDAM precision bombs.
Despite the two US planes lost on Friday, Iran has reportedly destroyed over 12 MQ-9 strike drones during the ongoing conflict.
The delayed deployment of the older, slower B-52s over Iran “raises questions about the extent to which the US has continued to depend on standoff capabilities,” said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center.
Reports from Gulf countries indicate that Iran has launched in excess of 1,600 ballistic missiles across the region, along with around 4,000 Shahed-type rudimentary cruise missiles. Defending against ballistic missiles alone would necessitate at least 3,200 interceptors.
Lockheed Martin currently manufactures about 650 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors per year, but the company signed a deal in January to ramp up production to 2,000 annually by 2030. Additionally, the company manufactures 96 THAAD interceptors annually, with a separate agreement to increase that number to 400.
Throughout the assault on Iran, the US has launched hundreds of Tomahawk cruise missiles. Prior to the war, there were approximately 4,000 Tomahawks in US stockpiles, including older models and anti-ship variants. RTX Corp. produced around 100 new missiles in 2025, and approximately 240 older models were upgraded to the latest Block V specification.
