NYT: Around 50 US military staffers face polygraph tests over ammo leak

Around 50 employees of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff have undergone polygraph tests as part of an investigation into the leaking of information about declining ammunition stocks in the U.S. military, The New York Times reported, citing sources.

Both military officers and civilian personnel were subjected to the tests, which focused on whether they had provided journalists with classified information or details about the depletion of U.S. ammunition stocks.

According to the newspaper, the investigation is unprecedented in scale for the senior leadership of the U.S. armed forces. Sources cited by The New York Times said the polygraph examinations may have been intended not only to identify the source of the leak but also to deter further disclosures of sensitive information.

The investigation follows media reports in August about shortages of key U.S. munitions. CNN reported that during five months of war with Iran, the U.S. military had depleted nearly 80% of its THAAD interceptor stockpile and about half of its Patriot interceptors.

CNN subsequently reported that senior U.S. military commanders had warned that Pentagon munitions stocks were dangerously low, with the depletion raising concerns about the military’s ability to sustain operations and respond to other potential threats.

By Tamilla Hasanova