Financial Times: US Warns European Allies of Potential Delays in Weapon Deliveries Due to Tight Inventories
The US has warned European allies, including the UK, Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia, to prepare for prolonged delays in deliveries of US-made weapons. This is due to the US needing to replenish its own stockpiles depleted by the Iran conflict, with concerns that Ukraine and Asian allies could also be affected. Deliveries of HIMARS and NASAMS ammunition are particularly impacted.
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- 📰 Published: May 2, 2026 at 13:41
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US-Iran War Key News
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency Washington, 1st, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Washington has warned European allies, including the United Kingdom, Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia, to be mentally prepared for extended delays in the delivery of US-made weapons. The US is busy replenishing its weapon stockpiles depleted by the Iran conflict, raising concerns that Ukraine and Asian allies will also be affected.
The British "Financial Times," citing nine informed sources, revealed that the Pentagon has informed the aforementioned European allies that there will be significant delays in the delivery of various missile systems; two of the sources also mentioned discussions about delaying weapon deliveries to Asia.
Part of the delivery delay is due to serious US concerns about a significant reduction in weapon stockpiles, especially after the extensive use of weapons in Iran over the past two months. The US military has been forced to reallocate weapons from other regions, including the Indo-Pacific, to cover the shortfall. However, the Iran conflict has also deepened concerns about whether the US still has enough weapons to deal with a potential conflict with Beijing.
In addition to causing alarm in Europe, delays in US weapon deliveries are also bad news for Ukraine. The Russia-Ukraine war has lasted for more than four years, and concerns are currently rising about whether the US will continue to support Ukraine.
The report points out that delivery delays affect the supply of ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), and other missile systems.
Current relations between the US and Europe are strained due to US President Trump's criticism that allies did not provide assistance in the Iran conflict; however, sources say that the delay in US weapon deliveries is not intended as punishment for Europe but purely reflects US concerns about its own inventory.
Tom Wright, an expert at the Brookings Institution who previously worked in the Biden administration, said: "The Pentagon may now have to deal with a long-term Middle East war while also rushing to strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. To do these, they are very likely to sacrifice European interests. Europe needs to rebuild its own defense industrial base at an extremely rapid pace."
Defense experts said that US allies in Asia should also prepare for delays in weapon deliveries. Countries like Japan and South Korea rely on various US-made weapons, such as the Patriot air defense system, for their defense.
The Financial Times previously reported that the US is preparing an unprecedented military sales package for Taiwan, including interceptor missiles for NASAMS and Patriot air defense systems, with the NASAMS portion estimated to be worth approximately US$6 billion. However, NASAMS was not widely used in the Iran conflict.
Christopher Johnstone, a former senior Pentagon official at The Asia Group, said: "Asian allies may underestimate the impact of US ammunition shortages on them and how long this impact will last."
He said: "Japan has already been frustrated by delays in the delivery of paid-for weapon systems (including Tomahawk cruise missiles). This reality will prompt Japan, South Korea, and other allies to pay more attention to domestically produced or non-US sources, even if US-made equipment is clearly better in some areas."
In 2024, the Biden administration also suspended the delivery of Patriot and NASAMS interceptor missiles to other countries to aid Ukraine. But this latest warning to European allies is significant because the problem is more widespread.
US allies and partners using NASAMS systems include Taiwan, Norway, Finland, Spain, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Indonesia, Australia, Hungary, Ukraine, Denmark, Qatar, and Oman. According to Lockheed Martin, 14 US partners use HIMARS systems, including Taiwan, Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Australia, and the UAE.
A senior Ukrainian official said that US weapon supplies to Kyiv have been delayed since the outbreak of the Iran conflict. According to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, the weapon delays even left Ukraine's Patriot systems without ammunition when they were attacked by Russian missiles. (Translated by Chen Yi-wei) 1150502
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency Washington, 1st, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Washington has warned European allies, including the United Kingdom, Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia, to be mentally prepared for extended delays in the delivery of US-made weapons. The US is busy replenishing its weapon stockpiles depleted by the Iran conflict, raising concerns that Ukraine and Asian allies will also be affected.
The British "Financial Times," citing nine informed sources, revealed that the Pentagon has informed the aforementioned European allies that there will be significant delays in the delivery of various missile systems; two of the sources also mentioned discussions about delaying weapon deliveries to Asia.
Part of the delivery delay is due to serious US concerns about a significant reduction in weapon stockpiles, especially after the extensive use of weapons in Iran over the past two months. The US military has been forced to reallocate weapons from other regions, including the Indo-Pacific, to cover the shortfall. However, the Iran conflict has also deepened concerns about whether the US still has enough weapons to deal with a potential conflict with Beijing.
In addition to causing alarm in Europe, delays in US weapon deliveries are also bad news for Ukraine. The Russia-Ukraine war has lasted for more than four years, and concerns are currently rising about whether the US will continue to support Ukraine.
The report points out that delivery delays affect the supply of ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), and other missile systems.
Current relations between the US and Europe are strained due to US President Trump's criticism that allies did not provide assistance in the Iran conflict; however, sources say that the delay in US weapon deliveries is not intended as punishment for Europe but purely reflects US concerns about its own inventory.
Tom Wright, an expert at the Brookings Institution who previously worked in the Biden administration, said: "The Pentagon may now have to deal with a long-term Middle East war while also rushing to strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. To do these, they are very likely to sacrifice European interests. Europe needs to rebuild its own defense industrial base at an extremely rapid pace."
Defense experts said that US allies in Asia should also prepare for delays in weapon deliveries. Countries like Japan and South Korea rely on various US-made weapons, such as the Patriot air defense system, for their defense.
The Financial Times previously reported that the US is preparing an unprecedented military sales package for Taiwan, including interceptor missiles for NASAMS and Patriot air defense systems, with the NASAMS portion estimated to be worth approximately US$6 billion. However, NASAMS was not widely used in the Iran conflict.
Christopher Johnstone, a former senior Pentagon official at The Asia Group, said: "Asian allies may underestimate the impact of US ammunition shortages on them and how long this impact will last."
He said: "Japan has already been frustrated by delays in the delivery of paid-for weapon systems (including Tomahawk cruise missiles). This reality will prompt Japan, South Korea, and other allies to pay more attention to domestically produced or non-US sources, even if US-made equipment is clearly better in some areas."
In 2024, the Biden administration also suspended the delivery of Patriot and NASAMS interceptor missiles to other countries to aid Ukraine. But this latest warning to European allies is significant because the problem is more widespread.
US allies and partners using NASAMS systems include Taiwan, Norway, Finland, Spain, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Indonesia, Australia, Hungary, Ukraine, Denmark, Qatar, and Oman. According to Lockheed Martin, 14 US partners use HIMARS systems, including Taiwan, Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Australia, and the UAE.
A senior Ukrainian official said that US weapon supplies to Kyiv have been delayed since the outbreak of the Iran conflict. According to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, the weapon delays even left Ukraine's Patriot systems without ammunition when they were attacked by Russian missiles. (Translated by Chen Yi-wei) 1150502
Stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" App to get the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.