Not Just Missiles: America Exhausts Rare Materials in All-Out War Effort
The war between the United States (US) and Iran is not only generating geopolitical tensions and global market concerns but is also revealing another critical aspect: the logistical and defence industry burden.
The US military strikes on Iran are being conducted under Operation Epic Fury, led by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) in the Middle East. The operation began on 28 February 2026 on the orders of the US President.
As the conflict escalates, attention is shifting to the extent of military resources expended by Washington in a short time.
Behind the intensive strikes at the outset of the war, the US has had to deplete large quantities of ammunition in just a few days.
This situation is not only straining weapons stockpiles but also creating subsequent consequences in the form of the need to replace strategic raw materials, including critical minerals that remain heavily dependent on global supply chains.
US Military Ammunition Depleted
The scale of US ammunition usage during the war illustrates the high cost of modern conflict.
According to data from J.P. Morgan, in just six days, the US is estimated to have expended 319 Tomahawk missiles, 83 Standard Missile 3s, 115 Standard Missile 6s, and 786 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles.
These figures are significant because for some types of ammunition, the amount used in a matter of days even exceeds the estimated deliveries for the entire fiscal year 2026.
For example, the 319 Tomahawk units used surpass the estimated full-year (FY) 2026 delivery of 190 units. The 83 Standard Missile 3 units also exceed the estimated delivery of 76 units.
Even for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptor, the table shows usage in the war, but there is no anticipated delivery in FY 2026.
Pressure is also evident from estimates of remaining ammunition days if the usage rate is aligned with the first 96 hours of the US strikes on Iran.
Citing a J.P. Morgan report, the Army Tactical or Precision Strike Missile is estimated to last only 12 days, the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator 13 days, the THAAD interceptor 25 days, the Patriot PAC-2/PAC-3 interceptor 31 days, the Navy Aegis Standard Missile 32 days, and the Tomahawk Block IV/V 34 days.
The Consequences Extend to Critical Minerals
For the Land of Uncle Sam, the war’s impact does not stop at missile and defence system usage. Behind every piece of ammunition lies a substantial need for industrial raw materials, particularly critical minerals.
In estimates of consumption during the first 96 hours of the war, the US is said to have depleted vast amounts of critical minerals, from 2,197 kilograms (kg) of cobalt, 11,444 kg of tungsten, to 124,040 kg of ammonium perchlorate.
In terms of proportion, these amounts are still relatively small compared to the US’s annual consumption.
However, the main issue is not merely the volume’s size, but the supply chain dependency. For several minerals, China remains the largest supplier or one of the largest for US needs.
Tungsten, for instance, shows China contributing 13% of the US’s annual consumption. For neodymium, samarium, and dysprosium, China’s shares are 48% each.
For tantalum, the share is 22%, while for gallium and germanium, China also remains an important supplier.
This means that the longer the war lasts and the greater the need to replenish ammunition, the pressure will not only emerge on weapons production capacity but also on access to strategic raw materials. It is at this point that military conflict transforms into an industrial and global supply chain issue.