WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is urging the U.S. defense industry to boost weapon production to replenish its dwindling munitions stockpile, particularly those depleted in the ongoing war with Iran.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated on Saturday that the department is concentrating on increasing munitions acquisitions to supply “the weapons our warfighters need at the pace the threat demands.” He confirmed that efforts have been made over the past week to accelerate the process significantly, emphasizing that this initiative is part of a wider modernization strategy initiated before the five-month conflict began.
Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, in a memo obtained by The Washington Post, instructed industry leaders on Wednesday to submit plans within 21 days that would “drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities.”
Feinberg emphasized that “years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” insisting on a dramatic acceleration of program schedules and an expansion of production capacity.
The memo was issued after recent fighting with Iran exhausted more of the U.S. military’s already reduced stock of advanced missile interceptors. This depletion could potentially heighten the risk for American troops if hostilities resume, according to a new analysis.
Reduced inventories of Patriot and THAAD interceptors might compel the U.S. and its Middle Eastern allies to take greater risks in conserving these air defenses, as indicated by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. This analysis suggests American forces might need to launch fewer missiles against incoming Iranian drones and missiles, increasing the likelihood of a successful strike.
President Donald Trump recently expressed frustration over public reports of a munitions shortage, stating on Truth Social on Thursday that the U.S. possesses “massive amounts” and that “large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the U.S. as needed.”
On Saturday, Parnell confirmed that Feinberg’s directive to rapidly increase weapons production is “real” and mentioned that it will influence the fiscal year 2028 budget submission to Congress, aligning with ongoing efforts to strengthen the defense industrial base.
A defense spending bill is currently stalled in Congress, with lawmakers upset over Trump’s military actions against Iran and opposing the White House’s request to significantly increase Pentagon spending to $1.5 trillion, up from approximately $900 billion last year.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated last month that the number of Patriot interceptors dropped from 2,330 before the war to 1,030 by the time the April ceasefire took effect. Recent fighting has further reduced the stockpile to between 759 and 827, a decline of at least 65% since before the conflict.
The number of THAAD interceptors decreased from 452 before the war to between 232 and 262 at the start of the April ceasefire, according to CSIS. The U.S. managed to partially replenish the inventory to between 234 and 278 interceptors, yet the stockpile remains at least 38% smaller than it was before the conflict.
