NATO could face ‘punch after punch’ in Russian missile assault, official says
A U.S. defense official in Europe and a NATO official told The Associated Press that the U.S. military is experiencing a “beyond critical” shortage of advanced missile interceptors in Europe, a shortfall largely driven by President Donald Trump’s war with Iran. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters. Their account, given to the AP, raises concerns about vulnerabilities in NATO countries to a potential Russian attack.
The U.S. defense official said the most concerning shortfall involves Patriot missile interceptors, which can shoot down Russia’s high-speed ballistic missiles. The NATO official confirmed the low inventories of Patriots among American and NATO forces in Europe.
In the event of a Russian ballistic missile assault on, for example, a military headquarters or power plant, NATO could be in a similar position to Patriot-starved Ukraine and be forced “to take punch after punch in the mouth,” the U.S. defense official said.