US faces depleting stockpile amid Iran war, Pentagon sends urgent message to defence firms
President Donald Trump speaks alongside Jennifer Hegseth, center left, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, center right, during a meeting about military families, in the Oval Office of the White House. (Photo: AP)The US Department of Defense is telling weapons companies to make missiles faster. The goal is to refill supplies that dropped during the ongoing war with Iran.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department wants to get weapons to soldiers “at the pace the threat demands.” He said the push started last week but is part of a bigger plan that began before the war.
What did the Pentagon tell weapons companies?
Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg sent a letter to industry leaders on Wednesday. He gave them 21 days to share plans for faster delivery and higher production of key weapons.
In the letter, Feinberg wrote that long development timelines are no longer acceptable. He said the country must speed up its programs and grow its production capacity right away.
Why are missile supplies so low?
Recent fighting with Iran used up many of the country’s missile interceptors, according to a new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think tank in Washington.
Here’s what the numbers show:
Story continues below this ad
- Patriot interceptors dropped from 2,330 before the war to 1,030 when the ceasefire started in April.
- After more recent fighting, that number is now between 759 and 827 a drop of at least 65% since before the war.
- THAAD interceptors fell from 452 before the war to between 232 and 262 by April.
- The US refilled some of that supply, bringing it up to between 234 and 278. Even so, it’s still at least 38% lower than before the war started.
The report warns that low supplies could force the US and its allies to take more risks with air defense, such as firing fewer missiles at incoming threats. That raises the chance one could get through.
What has Trump said about the shortage?
President Trump has pushed back against reports of a missile shortage. On social media, he said the US has “massive amounts” of weapons and that more are being built and sent out as needed.
Parnell confirmed the memo is real. He said it will help shape the 2028 defense budget request to Congress and fits with ongoing efforts to rebuild the weapons industry.
A defense spending bill is currently stuck in Congress. Lawmakers are unhappy about Trump’s military action against Iran and are pushing back on a White House request to raise Pentagon spending to $1.5 trillion, up from about $900 billion last year.
(With inputs from AP)
