Pentagon gives defense firms 21 days to submit plans for faster weapons production

Published Aug 11, 02:54 PM UTC

The Pentagon has given defense companies 21 days to submit plans for dramatically accelerating production and delivery of critical weapons, driven by depleted munitions stockpiles from recent combat with Iran. Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg's August 5 memo demands 'significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules' and calls for industry to propose capital investments and facility expansions. The urgency follows CSIS estimates showing Patriot interceptor stocks fell from 2,330 to between 759-827, and THAAD stocks from 452 to 234-278. Current delivery timelines are 42 months for Patriot PAC-3 MSE and 53 months for THAAD. Companies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and RTX are affected. RTX received its first domestic GEM-T Patriot interceptor order in 30 years ($442 million contract). L3Harris agreements aim to nearly triple PAC-3 and quadruple THAAD propulsion component production. The memo extends beyond Iran-related weapons, identifying 16 critical programs including the Next Generation Interceptor, NASAMS, and space-based missile tracking systems for fiscal 2028 budget review.