The Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment said the volume of munitions expended in the operation had resulted in “strategic inventory shortfalls.” It identified solid rocket motors, high-grade explosives, propellants and skilled manufacturing labor as the most persistent barriers to replenishment.
The assessment was included in *Operation Epic Fury: Report to the United States Congress, April 1, 2026–June 30, 2026*, the first quarterly Inspector General report on the campaign. The document examined the military, financial and diplomatic demands generated by U.S. operations against Iran.
The Pentagon estimated the cost of Operation Epic Fury at $33.4 billion as of June 29. That figure included $22.3 billion to replace expended munitions, $3.7 billion for lost equipment and $7.4 billion in incremental obligations.
The scale of the campaign placed heavy demands on U.S. weapons inventories. American forces struck approximately 13,500 targets, flew about 36,000 combat sorties and conducted more than 1,800 fire missions between February 28 and April 7.
The target set included Iranian ballistic missile garrisons, air defense sites, command-and-control centers and storage facilities for cruise missiles and unmanned aircraft systems. U.S. forces also attacked naval and mine-warfare assets and parts of Iran’s defense industrial base.
Iran’s military infrastructure increased the operational burden, according to the report. Tehran had invested in underground facilities, mobile launchers, dispersed weapons inventories, concealment and deception to protect its capabilities from attack.
U.S. Strategic Command employed dozens of 2,000-pound penetrating guided bombs against deeply buried missile launchers across southern Iran during the first 11 days of combat. The report did not identify the aircraft or individual weapon variants used in those missions.
The Pentagon said it was seeking to accelerate active production lines, streamline procurement and reduce manufacturing lead times. It was also working to stockpile critical materials, components and selected munitions that would be required during another contingency.
The department is using statutory authorities to expand industrial facilities and reallocating funding to address production chokepoints. It is also working with allies to strengthen supply chains and offset reductions in U.S. inventories.
Those measures will not produce immediate results. The defense industrial base requires “significant lead time” to expand capacity, the acquisition and sustainment office told the Inspector General.
Congress did not provide a dedicated appropriation for Operation Epic Fury in fiscal 2026. The military services instead drew on base budgets that would normally finance training, maintenance and other planned activities.
The White House subsequently requested $67.1 billion in supplemental defense funding, most of it connected with the operation. The proposal included $21 billion for munitions and $17.3 billion for operational costs, along with $12.1 billion for classified programs.
The request also allocated $5.1 billion to cybersecurity and autonomy, $4 billion to airborne moving-target indication and a space data network, and $2.4 billion to unmanned aircraft systems. Additional funding was sought for readiness, fuel and National Guard support.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Congress that the absence of supplemental funding could create shortfalls affecting military pay and the replacement of weapons and equipment. He also said funding pressures could threaten the Pentagon’s ability to sustain other global operations.
The reported $33.4 billion cost remains incomplete because it excludes repairs to damaged military infrastructure and broader economic effects linked to disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon said the final cost of repairing or replacing damaged equipment would depend on technical assessments and future contract prices.
The Inspector General cautioned that most information provided by federal agencies for the report had not been independently verified or audited. The operational and industrial assessments therefore represent the positions of the Pentagon offices and commands identified in the document.
