The US Navy is rapidly depleting costly missile interceptors in Middle East conflicts, raising concerns about supply shortages, rising defense costs, and readiness for potential conflict with China.
Speaking to US lawmakers on Tuesday, acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby said that the US Navy was consuming ballistic missile interceptors at an alarming rate. In testimony to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Kilby stated that the US Navy has ordnance such as the RIM-161 Standard Missile 3, a ship-based missile defense system designed to intercept short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, addressing immediate global threats.
However, the nearly two-year-long campaign against the Iranian-backed Houthis and then this month against the Iranian strikes aimed at Israel have depleted stockpiles.
“We are using them quite effectively in the defense of Israel,” Kilby told the lawmakers.
The Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) is part of the US Navy’s highly capable Aegis Combat System, which is employed on the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers and Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers. It is essentially a kinetic kill vehicle capable of intercepting an adversary’s missiles in flight.
The SM-3 Costs a Lot, but It’s Reliable
The SM-3 only made its debut in combat in April 2024 when it was employed to stop Iranian ballistic missiles fired at Israel, quickly highlighting its effectiveness. Business Insider reported that the SM-3 is more advanced than other interceptors and can “engage targets in space.” However, its capabilities come with a price, a very high one at that.
Depending on the variant, each SM-3 can cost between nearly $10 million and almost $30 million.
In May, RTX subsidiary Raytheon, the maker of the interceptor ordnance, was awarded a $1 billion contract to continue SM-3 Block IB production. The contract is low-end at around $9.7 million per missile.
Even the less effective Standard Missile 2 (SM-2) Block IVs can cost $2.1 million each, while the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) costs nearly $4 million per missile.
The SM-3 and SM-6 Would Counter Attacks from China
Both SM-3 and SM-6 interceptors are considered crucial should the United States go to war with China, and both would be needed in large quantities if the US Navy seeks to operate within the “Second Island Chain” that would put its surface forces in the crosshairs of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA’s) carrier killers missiles, notably the Dong Feng-26 (DF-26). The road-mobile, two-stage solid-fueled intermediate-range ballistic (IRBM) was unveiled during a military parade in September 2015. It has been seen as a significant threat to the US Navy’s warships, notably its nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
The DF-26 has a reported range of 4,000 kilometers, and it can be used in both conventional and nuclear strikes against ground and naval targets. It would likely be supplemented by the smaller DF-21, which entered service more than 30 years ago, replacing the obsolete Dong Feng-2 (CSS-1).
The DF-21 was Beijing’s first solid-fuel, road-mobile missile, capable of deploying a 600 kg payload with a minimum range of 500 kilometers and a maximum range of 2,150 kilometers, allowing it to strike targets in the first island chain. The DF-21D’s warhead is also maneuverable with an accuracy of 20 m CEP (circular error probable).
The United States Still Needs More Missiles to Counter China
Countering the Chinese missiles remains a serious concern, but the threat of further conflict with Iran and its regional proxies could deplete the stockpiles even more. The US missile industrial base may not be able to increase production quickly enough to replace the SM-class missiles currently used in the Middle East, and even if manufacturing ramps up, so will the costs.
Interceptor missiles are approximately twice the cost of the anti-ship missiles they are meant to destroy, but there are few alternatives. The US Navy has explored lasers and other directed energy weapons (DEWs), but such technology could be years away, or even longer.
In the meantime, the missile industrial base faces limited production capacity and supply chain vulnerabilities that must be overcome. The procurement process also needs significant streamlining. As with other industries, shortages of skilled workers persist at all levels, from engineers to machinists.
Consolidation within the defense sector has reduced competition and led to higher prices, which the American taxpayer will ultimately bear.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Kevin Shipp.
