Pentagon calls on US defense industry to accelerate weapons production, WP
Photo: Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth (Getty Images)
The Pentagon is urging the US defense industry to rapidly scale up weapons production and deliveries, including ammunition that is in critically short supply due to the war with Iran, according to The Washington Post.
The Pentagon is urging the US defense industry to rapidly scale up weapons production and deliveries, including ammunition that is in critically short supply due to the war with Iran, according to The Washington Post.
According to the publication, Deputy Pentagon Chief Steve Feinberg sent a letter to industry leaders on Wednesday stating that companies have no more than 21 days to present plans for significant acceleration and increased delivery rates or expansion of production of critical components.
"Multi-year development cycles are unacceptable. We must dramatically accelerate the timelines for implementing our programs and immediately expand production capacity," Feinberg wrote.
WP previously reported that in the first month of the war with Iran alone, the US launched over 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 1,000 Patriot and THAAD interceptors. In the initial weeks of the conflict, the US also employed over 1,300 tactical ballistic missiles.
According to an analysis by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), as of last week, the global inventory of Patriot missiles had dropped from 2,200 (prior to the Iran war) to fewer than 827, while THAAD interceptor stocks fell from 453 to fewer than 278.
In recent months, the Pentagon has made efforts to boost weapons supplies. On Monday, a framework agreement was announced with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to increase production of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) and THAAD missiles.
Last week, the Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $58.6 billion to scale up PAC-3 production through 2030.
What else is important to know
A few days ago, The Washington Post reported that US President Donald Trump was frustrated with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and had demanded explanations as to why Washington was facing an ammunition shortage amid the war with Iran.
Trump soon publicly dismissed the report, stating that he was satisfied with Hegseth's performance as head of the Pentagon.
A few days ago, Hegseth revealed that the US had spent $37.5 billion on the war with Iran. He also warned that without urgent funding, the military would be unable to function properly.
