According to a Wall Street Journal report, the United States is running out of equipment in the field of air defense systems.
The need for arrays of the MIM-104 Patriot missile system in the Middle East could affect arms supplies to Ukraine, the newspaper said.
In particular, increasing escalation in the Middle East has prompted the United States to deploy six additional arrays of the MIM-104 Patriot missile system, doubling the total number in the region, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. The Pentagon is now running out of equipment, the newspaper pointed out.
The move came amid a series of missile and drone attacks on US military bases in Iraq and Syria, which Washington has blamed on Iranian support troops.
The additional batteries were sent to Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, countries that host dozens of US military installations, according to the Wall Street Journal!
One of the most visible consequences of increased demand for the long-range air defense systems is Washington's decision not to send a Patriot array to the Dubai Airshow, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Pentagon had planned to display all three main components of the system, including the launch vehicle, the radar truck and the command station, but announced the systems' redirection in late October.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon has a total of 60 arrays, some of which are located around the world, from Germany to Guam and South Korea. Washington has allowed some of its allies to buy into the system.
Two Patriot arrays, one from the US and one each from Germany and the Netherlands, were deployed in Ukraine earlier this year and Berlin has promised further deliveries.
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