Patriot Missile Shortage Exposes US Impotence as Security Guarantor – Ex-DoD Analyst

A Patriot missile mobile launcher.

The US’ inability to deliver the Patriot missiles it promised to allies does not bode well for its reputation, former US Department of Defense analyst Karen Kwiatkowski tells Sputnik.The US showed that paying for US arms and even being a US ally does not make one a priority. “The priority is whatever emergency Washington dreams up next, and allies see this,” Kwiatkowski notes.Lockheed Martin’s intent to increase annual Patriot missile production from 650 to 2,000 missiles by 2033, when the US burned through 900 such missiles in just four days of war with Iran, is laughable.The US finds itself unable to “fight a high-intensity conflict lasting more than a week or two without running out of ammunition.”“America can no longer do both: protect its own assets and guarantee the safety of its partners. The era of American military omnipotence is over,” says Kwiatkowski.Countries which previously bought Patriots may now turn to “cheaper and better alternatives” insteadWorldUS Allies Scramble for Patriot Missiles as Iran War Drains Stockpiles07:33 GMT

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