Pentagon orders arms makers to ‘quadruple’ missile production: Report

The Pentagon has reportedly urged military contractors to double or even “quadruple” the production rates of various missiles due to concerns about low stockpiles in the United States, particularly in anticipation of a potential conflict with China. 

The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that military leaders are pushing for the accelerated assembly of 12 “critical weapons,” including Patriot interceptor missiles, long-range anti-ship missiles, Standard Missile-6 missiles, Precision Strike missiles, and Joint Air-to-Surface Missiles. 

Of particular importance is the Patriot missile system, as Lockheed Martin, a major arms manufacturer, works to keep pace with the rising global demand for this technology, the American newspaper added.  

Informed sources also revealed a series of high-level meetings between Pentagon officials and representatives from missile manufacturing companies, aiming to significantly increase the production of vital weaponry. 

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US Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg is actively involved in this initiative, known as the Munitions Production Acceleration Council, and is holding weekly discussions with company executives on this matter, the sources said.  

In June, the Pentagon organized a roundtable meeting, inviting major missile suppliers to launch this effort, with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and General Dan Keane, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as executives from several weapons manufacturers in attendance.

However, the report noted that stakeholders fear Washington’s goals are “unrealistic,” and that questions are arising about the funding required to accelerate production. 

Some suppliers are facing challenges in meeting the increased demands and are cautious about fulfilling orders that have not yet been financially supported by the government.

Monday’s report is not the first to express official concerns over low stockpiles.

Prominent American experts have previously underlined the inadequate preparedness of the country's missile architecture to handle alleged high-volume threats. 

During the US campaign against Yemen earlier this year, the expenditure of at least $1 billion in munitions raised concerns within the military community that the US military could potentially face “real operational problems” if a conflict with China were to arise, as reported by The New York Times. 

Report warns of ‘alarming gap’ in US missile stockpile after Iranian retaliation

The Wall Street Journal warns of an “alarming gap” in the US missile arsenal after stockpiles fell short during efforts to shield the Israeli regime from Iran’s retaliation.

Back in July, the administration of US President Donald Trump halted some shipments of weapons to Ukraine over concerns that the country’s own stockpiles are too low, according to White House spokesperson Anna Kelly.

In the same month, The Wall Street Journal warned of an “alarming gap” in the US missile arsenal, noting the stockpile fell significantly short during Washington’s recent support operations aimed at protecting the Israeli regime against a large-scale Iranian retaliation.

The WSJ also revealed that apart from the American missiles, Israeli missile stockpiles also drained quickly, with the regime nearing depletion of its Arrow, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome systems by the end of the 12-day war against Iran in June.

This comes amid rising tensions between the US and China over a host of issues. 

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