American military officials say the Pentagon might need to dip into stockpiles in Asia to replenish supplies in the Middle East, congressional aides say.
U.S. commanders planning for a possible conflict with China are increasingly concerned that the Pentagon will soon need to move long-range precision weapons from stockpiles in the Asia-Pacific region to the Middle East, congressional officials say.
That is because of the large amount of munitions that the United States is using in a bombing campaign in Yemen ordered by President Trump.
U.S. readiness in the Pacific is also being hurt by the Pentagon’s deployment of warships and aircraft to the Middle East after the Israel-Gaza war began in October 2023 and after Houthi militia forces in Yemen started attacking ships in the Red Sea to support the Palestinians, the officials say.
The American ships and aircraft, as well as the service members working on them, are being pushed at what the military calls a high operating tempo. Even basic equipment maintenance becomes an issue under those grinding conditions.
The congressional officials who spoke about the problems did so on the condition of anonymity to talk candidly about sensitive military matters.
Adm. Samuel Paparo, the head of the Pentagon’s Indo-Pacific Command since May, will almost certainly be asked about readiness issues when he is expected to testify before Congress on Wednesday and Thursday.