U.S. Reportedly Spent Nearly $200 Million on Patriot Missiles in One Day During Iranian Attacks
The United States spent nearly $200 million in a single day on Patriot interceptor missiles to defend against Iranian attacks targeting Jordan, according to a report by The New York Times.
The report says U.S. forces launched around 50 Patriot missiles, each costing close to $4 million, as part of efforts to intercept incoming threats.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is reportedly employing more advanced missiles, including the Kheibar Shekan, which is designed to maneuver and change trajectory during flight, making interception more difficult.
According to the report, U.S. air defense units in some cases had to fire multiple Patriot interceptors sometimes as many as eight against a single target to ensure successful interception.
The growing use of relatively inexpensive systems, such as Shahed drones, which are estimated to cost around $20,000 each, highlights the cost imbalance facing modern air defense networks, where low-cost weapons can force defenders to expend interceptors worth millions of dollars.