The US Department of Defence has given defence companies 21 days to submit plans to increase production and speed up deliveries of critically important weaponry, particularly ammunition. The demand comes against the backdrop of a shortage that has worsened due to the war with Iran: during the first month of the war, the US used more than 850 Tomahawk missiles, over 1,000 Patriot and THAAD interceptors, and more than 1,300 tactical ballistic missiles, according to The Washington Post.
Briefly about the main points
- Companies have 21 days to submit their plans, not to build new rockets.
- The Pentagon is calling for an increase in production and faster deliveries of weapons.
- The agency described the multi-year development and production cycles as unacceptable.
- The results of this work will be taken into account in the budget request for the 2028 financial year.
- New production facilities will require contracts, funding and components.
The agency wants to shorten production cycles
The Pentagon is seeking proposals from the defence industry on how to ramp up production of critical systems more quickly and deliver them to the armed forces. The department has stated that development and production times spanning several years are no longer acceptable.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell He confirmed to the Associated Press the new requirement for companies. According to him, its results must be taken into account when drawing up the budget request for the 2028 financial year.
Expanding capacity requires contracts and funding
The campaign to ramp up production of certain missiles began earlier. In January, the US Department of Defence signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin a seven-year framework agreement, which provides for an increase in the annual production capacity of PAC-3 MSE interceptors from approximately 600 to 2,000 units.
In February, RTX announced that it aimed to produce more than 1,000 Tomahawk missiles and more than 500 SM-6 missiles each year. This does not mean guaranteed deliveries: the expansion of production depends on multi-year contracts, funding, components and the workforce. Some of the agreements also require congressional approval.
