U.S. stocks of Javelin anti-tank missiles are depleted in connection with their shipment to Ukraine, CNN reports citing a study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

According to Mark Cancian, senior adviser to the International Security Program at CSIS, it will take years to replenish US stockpiles with new weapons.

The Javelin is a shoulder-fired anti-tank missile manufactured by American defense giants Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

Cancian noted that the Pentagon needs to monitor the depletion of its stocks. Military planners are probably starting to get nervous, he wrote.

The United States is stockpiling in case of various possible global conflicts that could happen with North Korea, Iran or Russia itself. At some point, these stocks will become so low that military planners will wonder if the military plans can be carried out. The United States is probably approaching that moment.

The expert estimates that between 20,000 and 25,000 Javelins remain in storage, and the 7,000 systems shipped to Ukraine represent about one-third of the total US stock.

It will take about three to four years to replace the already delivered missiles. If the United States supplies more missiles to Ukraine, this period will be extended, he said.

A senior US Department of Defense official assured that the massive arms shipments to Ukraine, including thousands of Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, did not affect the combat readiness of US troops.