"Then, on a call earlier this month with the State Department, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby said that he didn't believe in the value of certainforeign military sales, according to two administration officials with knowledge of the discussion. He added that he didn't like the idea of selling Patriots-which can intercept incoming missiles-to Denmark, because they are in short supply and should be reserved for the United States to use as needed."
"The comments surprised some State officials, but they soon learned that it wasn't just Denmark having its access cut off. Current and formeradministration officials told me the Pentagon has identified some weapons as being in short supply, and is moving to block new requests for those systems coming in from Europe. It wasn't immediately clear to those I spoke with how long the hold will last, how many weapons are on the list, or if it could expand to include even more weapons."
U.S. officials moved to limit foreign military sales of certain systems to Europe, surprising partners and state officials. Pentagon leadership flagged specific weapons as in short supply and began blocking new European requests for those systems, with few exemptions expected. Concerns center on Patriot missile interceptors, which are limited in number and considered unique in capability without a European equivalent. The U.S. possesses only a fraction of the interceptors needed for Pentagon plans, prompting decisions to prioritize domestic availability and reserve scarce systems for U.S. operational requirements.
Read at The Atlantic
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