The United States has communicated to a number of European governments that weapons already contracted for delivery are expected to face delays as the conflict involving Iran continues to draw down American stockpiles, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Those briefed on the communications said countries in the Baltic region and in Scandinavia are among the European buyers likely to be affected. The sources emphasized that the messages were not made public and declined to be identified.
Some of the systems and munitions cited in the notifications were acquired by European governments via the U.S. Foreign Military Sales - FMS - program but remain undelivered, the sources added. Requests for comment from the White House and the Pentagon received no immediate response, and the State Department directed inquiries to the Pentagon.
The development follows a campaign of air strikes carried out by the U.S. and Israel beginning on February 28 that has prompted concern among some U.S. officials that defense industry production and available inventories could be strained. Those concerns include the prospect that the U.S. defense industrial base might be unable to satisfy heightened demand without slowing shipments to certain buyers.
U.S. stocks have already been reduced by large transfers since major military operations elsewhere prompted supply draws. Officials have previously drawn down billions of dollars' worth of weapons stockpiles, including artillery systems, ammunition and anti-tank missiles, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and since Israel commenced military operations in Gaza in late 2023.
The sources who disclosed the likely delays spoke anonymously because the communications were not public. Beyond the notifications described, there was no public confirmation from U.S. agencies at the time of reporting.
Context and limitations - The information available is limited to the private notices described by the anonymous sources and the prior public record of U.S. stockpile drawdowns. No additional official statements were provided to confirm timelines or specific affected shipments.
What is clear - Several European buyers have been told to expect probable delays; some of the delayed items were purchased under the FMS program; the U.S. government agencies either did not respond to requests for comment or referred questions internally.