Pentagon orders urgent ramp‑up of weapons production
Pentagon ordered contractors to deliver plans within 21 days to speed up production after inventories fell amid the war with Iran.
The Pentagon has ordered the U.S. defense industry to speed up production and deliveries of critical weapons after inventories were sharply reduced by the war with Iran.
An internal memorandum says Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg gave defense contractors just 21 days to submit plans showing how they will significantly accelerate output and shipments.
The memo stresses that existing production schedules — often measured in years — are no longer acceptable and demands immediate expansion of industrial capacity.
Priority systems named
Among the systems singled out as critical are the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI), NASAMS, mobile air‑defense radars, advanced pilot training systems and space‑based missile‑tracking capabilities.
Officials say stocks of certain missiles and munitions have come under heavy pressure because of military operations, and the United States is already moving to boost production of Patriot and THAAD missiles with contracts that foresee large capacity increases.
The development raises a broader question about how quickly the U.S. defense industrial base can replenish supplies used in the conflict with Iran. At the same time, President Donald Trump has publicly rejected claims that the U.S. is running out of key ammunition, intensifying the debate over current reserve levels.
Photo: МИА
