Pentagon Presses U.S. Defense Firms to Speed Up Weapons Production in Iran War Shortages

The Pentagon has called on the United States defence industry to accelerate weapons production to replenish a diminished munitions stockpile depleted in the ongoing war with Iran, with Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell saying the department was focused on boosting munitions acquisitions to provide “the weapons our warfighters need at the pace the threat demands”.

“the weapons our warfighters need at the pace the threat demands”

Al Jazeera

Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg told industry leaders they had no more than 21 days to submit plans to “drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities,” according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.

Aajil

The pressure is tied to shortages in advanced missile interceptors, with Al Jazeera reporting that shrunken inventories of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors may force the United States and its Middle Eastern allies to take greater risks to conserve air defences.

Al Jazeera also reported that the number of Patriot interceptors fell from 2,330 before the war to 1,030 when the April ceasefire took effect, and that after recent fighting the stockpile is now estimated to be between 759 and 827.

The same Al Jazeera report warned that if the United States runs out of Patriots, “then the missiles get through,” citing retired US Marine Corps colonel Mark Cancian.

The Pentagon’s push for faster production is occurring as President Donald Trump has denied that the United States faces any strategic disadvantage from weapons stores, writing on Truth Social that “The US has massive amounts of ‘munitions,’ especially of certain types,” and adding that “large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the US as needed.”

Al Jazeera reported that on Saturday, Parnell affirmed Feinberg’s memo seeking a rapid escalation of weapons production is “real,” adding that it “will inform the fiscal year 2028 budget submitted to Congress for funding”.

ABC News

The memo’s timeline and language are echoed in other coverage, with the Türkiye Today report saying Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg told industry executives they had “no more than 21 days” to present plans to increase manufacturing capacity and move critical weapons to the military on much faster timelines.

Türkiye Today also quoted Feinberg’s instruction that “Years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” and said the directive urged contractors to adopt “significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production.”

Both outlets frame the production acceleration as a response to depleted stockpiles after the war with Iran, with Al Jazeera linking the shortages to defensive interceptors and Türkiye Today describing the directive as part of a broader effort to replenish weapons stockpiles depleted during the Iran war.

Al Jazeera reported that THAAD interceptors fell from 452 before the war to between 232 and 262 at the start of the April ceasefire, while the United States was able to replenish some of the inventory to between 234 and 278 interceptors.

“The stockpile is still at least 38 percent smaller than it was before the conflict”

Al Jazeera

The report said the stockpile is still at least 38 percent smaller than it was before the conflict, and it described how shortages could reduce the number of missiles launched against incoming Iranian drones and missiles, raising the chance of one getting through.

In parallel, the Jerusalem Post’s account of New York Times reporting described a depleted US munitions stockpile as a “generational annihilation of the means of conventional deterrence,” with Tom Karako saying “They may do something quite deliberate and at the time of their choosing, because keep in mind, we’re going to take years to reconstitute.”

That same Jerusalem Post piece said Reuters recently reported the US has used "virtually all" of its highly accurate long-range missiles, and it tied the depletion to Pentagon decisions to move ships, aircraft, and air defense units from Asia and Europe to the Middle East.

Al Jazeera concluded by warning that even with funding, restoring Patriot and THAAD interceptors to pre-war levels would likely take at least three years, leaving the next steps—budgeting and production plans—at the center of the Pentagon’s effort to rebuild.