WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is pressing U.S. defense companies to accelerate weapons production and submit plans for faster deliveries as the United States seeks to replenish munitions stocks depleted by military operations, including the five-month war with Iran.
Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg instructed defense industry leaders this week to provide plans within 21 days for significantly faster delivery schedules or increased production of critical weapons, according to a Pentagon memo obtained by The Washington Post and reported by the Associated Press.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that the department had been working to speed up the acquisition process and said the effort was focused on ensuring troops receive weapons at the pace required by current threats. He said the initiative was part of a broader modernization effort that began before the Iran conflict.
The push comes as U.S. officials and defense analysts have raised concerns about depleted inventories of some missiles and interceptors following sustained combat operations. The Pentagon has previously reached agreements with major contractors to expand production of systems including Patriot and THAAD interceptors and other munitions.
Earlier this year, the department announced framework agreements with BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Honeywell to increase production capacity. Honeywell separately committed $500 million to modernize and expand manufacturing capacity for critical munitions components under an agreement with the Pentagon.
Lockheed Martin and RTX, two of the largest U.S. defense contractors, have also raised their 2026 outlooks as the Pentagon works to replenish weapons stocks, Reuters reported in July.
The administration has made faster weapons production a broader policy priority. President Donald Trump urged defense executives last month to accelerate manufacturing and expand production capacity, saying the United States needed greater speed in delivering weapons.
The latest Pentagon directive highlights a longstanding challenge for the U.S. defense industrial base: expanding output of complex weapons can require new equipment, workers, suppliers and production facilities, limiting how quickly companies can respond even when additional funding is available.
The Pentagon's request for accelerated production plans gives contractors three weeks to outline how they can increase output or shorten delivery schedules. The department has not publicly specified how many additional weapons it expects industry to produce under the latest directive.
