Forget the Strait of Hormuz for a Moment: The Number That Really Matters Now Is How Many Air Defense Missiles Are Left

United States Central Command seemingly pushed back on that framing of the war in Iran, however. But the recent Houthi declaration of an embargo on Saudi shipping via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait threatens to upend the new equilibrium. A Diminishing Interceptor StockpileAgainst the backdrop of these events is the United States’ supply of air defense interceptors. On Thursday, the United States Army inked a $58.6 billion deal with Lockheed Martin, the Patriot interceptor manufacturer, to produce Patriot interceptor missiles. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States.