US runs out of bombs to strike IS

The US Air Force's ammunition stockpile is running low after using more than 20,000 missiles and bombs since the start of the air campaign against the Islamic State (IS) group 15 months ago.

The US Air Force's F-22 Raptor took part in the first mission to attack IS targets in Syria in 2014. Photo: CNN

CNN quoted a statement from US Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh saying that as the US steps up its campaign against IS in Iraq and Syria, the air force is consuming more ammunition than it can replenish.

"The B-1s dropped bombs in record numbers. The F-15Es went to war because they can use a variety of weapons with great flexibility. We need funding to ensure we are ready for this long-term fight," Welsh said. "This is an urgent need."

The Air Force has requested additional funding for Hellfire missiles and is working on plans to ramp up production of the weapons, but the process could take up to four years, he said.

The disclosure of the number of missiles and bombs used by the US military in airstrikes against IS militants comes as Republicans continue to criticize the Obama administration, saying it has been too timid in the fight against the terrorist group and calling for loosening the rules to allow the US military to engage more deeply.

US pilots used weapons less than half of the nearly 18,000 sorties in the first 10 months of this year. However, that is also up from 2014, when pilots bombed IS targets in just a third of their sorties.

According to VNE