A single shot fired from one of America's most high-end missile interceptors can cost up to $US28 million ($40 million).
Over the past five months, analysts estimate the US may have used more than 100 of those Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) interceptors to help defend against Iran's ballistic missiles.
Stockpiles of SM-3s are just one of the many critical munitions the Pentagon has been dipping into to carry out its Operation Epic Fury against Tehran — and it is costing them.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has put the price tag of the war so far at $US37.5 billion ($53.6 billion) and US politicians have approved even more funding.
Missiles are reportedly among the US military's biggest war-related expenses and there is still no clear end to the conflict in sight.
