Pentagon Orders Faster Weapons Production as US Missile Stocks Fall

The Pentagon is pushing US defense companies to speed up weapons production as the military works to rebuild stocks of munitions depleted during the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Saturday that the Defense Department was focused on increasing purchases of munitions and ensuring the military receives weapons at a pace matching current security demands. He said recent efforts to accelerate production were part of a wider programme to modernise and strengthen the US defense industrial base.

Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg instructed defense industry executives on Wednesday to submit plans within 21 days for substantially faster deliveries and increased production of critical weapons systems, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.

Feinberg said lengthy development and production schedules were no longer acceptable and called for an immediate expansion of manufacturing capacity.

The push comes as recent fighting with Iran has further reduced US stocks of advanced missile interceptors. A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) warned that lower inventories of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, interceptors could leave US forces and regional partners with difficult choices if hostilities resume.

The think tank said US forces could be forced to use fewer interceptors against incoming Iranian missiles and drones in an effort to conserve limited supplies. Such a strategy could increase the possibility of threats reaching their targets.

CSIS estimated that the US had 2,330 Patriot interceptors before the conflict. By the time an April ceasefire began, the number had fallen to about 1,030. Following renewed fighting, the stockpile was estimated at between 759 and 827, representing a decline of at least 65% from prewar levels.

THAAD inventories have also fallen. The US had an estimated 452 interceptors before the conflict, compared with between 234 and 278 currently. That leaves the stockpile at least 38% below its earlier level.

President Donald Trump has rejected reports that the US faces a serious ammunition shortage. He said Thursday that the country had “massive amounts” of weapons and that additional supplies were being manufactured and delivered.

Parnell confirmed that Feinberg’s memo was genuine and said its requirements would help shape the Pentagon’s fiscal 2028 budget request to Congress.

The effort comes as lawmakers remain divided over defense spending. Congress has yet to approve a major defense spending bill, while opposition has grown over the administration’s military actions against Iran and a proposal to increase Pentagon spending to $1.5 trillion from roughly $900 billion last year.

The production drive reflects growing pressure on Washington to replenish weapons stocks while maintaining the capacity to respond to future conflicts.