The Pentagon has formally asked major U.S. defense contractors to accelerate production and delivery of critical weapons systems as the Iran war strains military stockpiles.
Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg sent the request in an August 5 letter to companies including Boeing Co (NYSE: BA), Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT), and RTX Corp (NYSE: RTX).
The letter, first reported by the Washington Post, outlines urgent demands for faster procurement across several high-priority weapons categories.
“Years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” Feinberg wrote. “We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now.”
The Pentagon is seeking faster production of wide-area surveillance equipment, air-defense sensors, missile interceptors, and missile-tracking systems.
U.S. weapons inventories have come under growing scrutiny as the military carries out attacks against Iran and intercepts drones and missiles targeting American bases across the Middle East.
President Donald Trump denied on Thursday that the U.S. was running short of munitions, saying the country had “massive amounts” available.
Trump acknowledged that supplies of some unidentified systems were “a little bit tighter,” but said replacements were arriving daily without providing further details.
Feinberg’s concerns extend beyond weapons actively used in the Iran conflict, identifying satellite communications and next-generation air-defense equipment as additional priorities.
Lockheed Martin’s Next Generation Interceptor, designed to protect the U.S. from intercontinental ballistic missiles, was also flagged as a critical program requiring faster progress.
Defense companies were asked to submit plans by late August detailing more aggressive delivery schedules, expanded manufacturing capacity, or both.
Any production increase could require contractors to add workers, expand facilities, and secure greater supplies of specialized components given existing supply chain constraints.
Long lead times and limited supplier capacity have already slowed efforts to replenish several categories of advanced munitions currently being depleted in the region.
The request comes alongside a Pentagon push for $18.2 billion in additional war funding for missile interceptors, reflecting the significant financial and industrial demands of sustained operations against Iran.
