Washington warned European allies—UK, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia—of prolonged delivery delays for US weapons as it scrambles to replenish stockpiles drained by the Iran war. Pentagon officials told partners that several missile systems, including the Nasams and Himars, would face serious lag, and that talks are underway to postpone shipments to Asia.

High consumption in the past two months has forced the American military to divert weapons from the Indo‑Pacific, raising doubts about the US’s ability to deter China or support Taiwan. A record‑size package for Taiwan, worth an estimated $6bn, would include Nasams and Patriot interceptors, further tightening inventories.

The Pentagon said it was carefully evaluating new requests from partners while keeping operational needs in focus. Meanwhile, defense firms are racing to boost production of critical weapons, with Lockheed Martin already scaling up Himars output, though delivery schedules still stretch for years.

Delays hit Ukraine hard, as late arrivals have left Patriot launchers empty during Russian missile barrages. The warning signals a broader strain on US defense supply chains, forcing allies to accelerate indigenous production and rethink dependence on American systems.