According to a report by the Washington Post on local time the 8th, citing a leaked Pentagon memo, the U.S. Department of Defense is demanding that defense companies rapidly boost production and delivery of weapons, including ammunition critically depleted due to conflict with Iran, amid severe shortages.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg sent a letter to industry leaders on the 5th, stating they must submit plans within 21 days to "significantly advance faster and more aggressive delivery schedules, thereby increasing production of key capabilities." "Multi-year development cycles are unacceptable. We must immediately and dramatically accelerate program timelines and expand production capacity," Feinberg wrote.
Feinberg also identified several weapons programs as critical in the 2028 fiscal year budget review, stating he is "considering accelerating or increasing procurement" for them. These include the Next-Generation Interceptor missile defense system, the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, mobile air defense radar systems, advanced pilot training systems, and space-based missile tracking systems.
The directive comes as weapons shortages have become a source of tension between President Trump and the Pentagon. Industry experts say the memo is the latest step by the Pentagon and the White House to address the issue. However, the report notes that advancing the weapons procurement framework crucial to speeding up Pentagon acquisitions depends on Congress passing a $1.15 trillion defense authorization bill, which remains stalled as Democrats oppose significant spending increases.
In response to the report, Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement, "Working directly with industry leaders to accelerate production is not new. From the start, this has been the clear purpose of the president and this (deputy) secretary." He added that Feinberg's memo "is authentic" and "will inform the 2028 fiscal year budget submitted to Congress for appropriations."
On the 6th, Trump acknowledged at the White House that while overall U.S. ammunition stockpiles are adequate, supply of "certain types of ammunition" is "relatively tight." He did not specify which types, but said defense companies are building production facilities for weapons like the Patriot missile and Tomahawk missile.
On the 4th, CNN reported, citing multiple sources, that since the start of the Iran conflict, U.S. forces have consumed nearly four-fifths of THAAD missile defense system stockpiles and about half of Patriot air defense interceptor missiles. Tomahawk cruise missiles used for long-range strikes have also depleted nearly half, with missile stockpiles in severe shortage.
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