Pentagon asks US defence companies to boost weapons production amid concerns over depleting stockpile
The US Pentagon is reportedly urging domestic defence companies to ramp up weapons production to replenish a depleted munitions stockpile, including supplies used during the
The US Pentagon is reportedly urging domestic defence companies to ramp up weapons production to replenish a depleted munitions stockpile, including supplies used during the ongoing war with Iran. In a statement released on Saturday (local time), Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department was actively focused on strengthening munitions acquisitions to provide "the weapons our warfighters need at the pace the threat demands," The Washington Post reported. Also Read | Trump dismisses concerns over depleting weapon stockpile: Report Parnell also confirmed that the department had worked over the past week to accelerate the process substantially, but stressed that the effort was part of a wider modernisation drive that began before the five-month-old conflict. The development comes weeks after several media reports indicated that a depleting stockpile of munitions was the primary reason for US President Donald Trump ordering a halt to the strikes, shortly after he directed the military to expand the offensive. Pentagon officials write to defence industry leaders Earlier this week, Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg wrote to industry leaders on Wednesday, giving them no more than 21 days to submit plans to "drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities," The Washington Post reported.
The Pentagon official said the department is focusing on procurement for programs including wide-area surveillance, air-defence sensors and interceptors, and missile-tracking systems. In a letter written to defence companies such as Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corp. and RTX Corp., Feinberg said, "Years-long development cycles are not acceptable," and added, “We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now.” US munitions stockpile depleting? Here's what Trump said The directive to US defence companies came as tensions between Trump and the Defence Department have been mounting. Additionally, citing industry experts, the report added that the order is the latest in a series of steps taken by the Pentagon and White House to tackle an issue that may remain unresolved until Congress approves additional defence spending. On Thursday, the US President reiterated that Washington has “massive amounts” of munitions. In a Truth Social post, he wrote that “large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the US as needed.” Earlier in July, Trump dismissed reports that suggested Washington's munitions stockpile was depleting and made these remarks to The Wall Street Journal, adding, "we have far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need." His comments to The Wall Street Journal came days after The New York Times reported that the administration had halted plans to expand military operations in Tehran, amid fears that a prolonged conflict could further drain the Pentagon's already reduced supply of Patriot missile interceptors and other air defence munitions stationed in the Middle East.
The BriefWire