Washington:Ousted US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George warned months before the US-Israeli conflict with Iran that American missile defense stockpiles were critically low and might not recover until 2030. His warning was reported by CBS News on Thursday.

According to Anadolu Agency, the warning was raised by George in late December, two months prior to the start of the conflict, as per US officials familiar with his assessment. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed him from his position in April, during the ongoing war.

George's assessment, which was part of the Pentagon's fiscal 2027 force allocation planning, highlighted shortages of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors and Patriot missiles, with expectations that supplies would remain low until 2030. Officials attributed the shortfall to weapons transfers to Ukraine, US military support for Israel, and limited production capacity in the defense industry.

The conflict with Iran has further depleted these supplies. A Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimate indicated that US forces had approximately 2,300 Patriot interceptors at the onset of 2026, with between 1,050 and 1,430 used during the conflict. The prewar THAAD inventory stood at about 355 interceptors, with an estimated 190 to 290 expended.

Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and senior adviser at CSIS, stated that these missile defense systems would be crucial in any potential conflict with China, emphasizing the need for substantial interceptor supplies.

The report noted that replenishing the stockpiles is a lengthy process. CSIS estimates indicate that new THAAD interceptor contracts take over four years to fulfill, while Patriot PAC-3 orders average 3 1/2 years.

The Pentagon, however, denied any claims of shortage. Chief spokesman Sean Parnell told CBS News that claims of US munitions shortages are false, asserting that Washington retains all necessary capabilities to strike as required by the President.