The United States admitted, for the first time, having weapons in orbit, revealed Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, at a conference of the Air & Space Forces Association in Maryland, cited by the Financial Times. Meink stated that the country possesses "space control weapons in orbit, capable of defending joint forces against hostile actions from adversaries," without specifying what type of weapons or capabilities, but considering them "important from a deterrence perspective." The announcement comes at a time when China and Russia are expanding their military programs in Space, and while the Trump Administration is accelerating the development of the "Golden Dome" missile defense shield, already having "flight-ready hardware" for space-based interceptors.
The U.S. attack on Iran in operation "Epic Fury" is causing "strategic deficits in U.S. arsenals," according to a report from the Defense Department inspector general sent to Congress. The estimated cost of the operation, between February 28 and June 30, was $33.4 billion (29 billion euros), of which $22.3 billion was spent on munitions alone. The conflict also caused significant loss of military equipment: four F-15 fighters destroyed, one F-35 damaged, seven KC-135 tankers damaged or destroyed, and up to 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones destroyed, each costing approximately $30 million.
The report also describes significant damage to U.S. bases in the Middle East, with hundreds of buildings and structures damaged or destroyed in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan. Reconstruction costs are not included in the $33.4 billion estimate, and it was not indicated whether all facilities will be rebuilt. Iran has already stated that negotiations with the U.S. will only proceed when Tehran's conditions are met, according to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
Donald Trump maintains that ammunition reserves are "practically unlimited" and that weapons production is at record levels, with factories operating 24 hours a day. In July, the U.S. advanced a contract of up to $58.6 billion with Lockheed Martin for the production of Patriot missiles. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that the U.S. has fewer than a thousand Patriot interceptors and fewer than 250 THAAD interceptors available, two of the main air defense systems, both used intensively in the Middle East.
