Pentagon demands accelerated weapons production following war with Iran

The Washington Post reports that the Pentagon is increasing pressure on the American defense industry to significantly accelerate the production and supply of combat equipment, against the backdrop of a severe ammunition shortage created following the war with Iran.

In a memorandum that US Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg delivered to senior defense industry officials on Wednesday, they were required to submit within 21 days plans that would allow for accelerating the schedules for supplying weapons systems and increasing the production of essential assets.

Feinberg clarified that the United States cannot afford to wait years for the development and production of weapons systems. According to him, production plans must be dramatically accelerated and industry capabilities must be expanded now.

This move comes against the backdrop of reports about a growing shortage in American ammunition stockpiles, which has become a point of contention between President Donald Trump and the Department of Defense. At the same time, the Pentagon and the White House are trying to promote a series of measures to increase production, but some of the plans depend on Congressional approval and an increase in the defense budget.

Hundreds of missiles fired within weeks

The scale of American ammunition usage since the beginning of the war illustrates the depth of the problem. According to the report, during the first month alone, the United States launched more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 1,000 interceptor missiles for Patriot and THAAD systems. In addition, the US military used more than 1,300 tactical ballistic missiles in the first weeks of the fighting.

The depletion of stocks increases the risk to American forces and limits Washington's ability to expand the scope of attacks, according to the report.

In recent months, the US Department of Defense has already promoted agreements with major defense companies, including Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, with the goal of increasing the production of PAC-3 and THAAD missiles.

Last week, the Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $58.6 billion, intended to allow for tripling the production rate of PAC-3 missiles by 2030.

At the same time, the Pentagon is also working with other defense technology companies to expand the strike capabilities of the US military and develop lower-cost missiles.

However, some of the agreements are not yet binding contracts. They signal the Department of Defense's intention to purchase the systems, but their realization depends on the allocation of budgets by Congress.

According to experts, this is one of the central problems: the Pentagon can commit to increasing purchases, but without budget approval, it is impossible to turn the commitments into actual orders.

In his memorandum, Feinberg asked defense companies not only to accelerate existing production but also to propose capital investments and the expansion of production facilities to allow for large-scale production over time.

Among the systems the Pentagon is considering accelerating as part of the 2028 budget are missile interception systems, air defense systems, mobile radars, flight training systems, and a space-based system for missile tracking.

The Pentagon clarifies that this is a profound change in how the United States develops, produces, and puts into service military capabilities, with the goal of adapting the defense industry to an era of prolonged wars and high demand for ammunition.

However, the main obstacle remains budgetary: the Pentagon's procurement proposals depend on the approval of a defense budget package of about $1.15 trillion, for which discussions in Congress are at a stalemate.