US media: Pentagon wants defense industry to ramp up arms production
- Americas
- DPA
- Published Date: 11:28 PM 09 August 2026
- Updated Date: 11:40 PM 09 August 2026
The Pentagon has called on the US defense industry to rapidly ramp up the production and delivery of weapons, media outlets reported on Sunday.
The Washington Post and CNN cited a memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg to the industry. Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the authenticity of the document to dpa.
US media have reported on dwindling stocks of critical weapons in the US military in recent weeks as a result of the war with Iran, despite President Donald Trump's dismissing the reported problems.
Feinberg, in the memo written on Wednesday, gave representatives of the defense industry a deadline of no more than three weeks to submit plans for faster delivery times and/or increased production for critical capabilities, the media outlets reported.
Feinburg told the industry that development cycles that take years "are unacceptable," the Washington Post reported.
Since Pete Hegseth's first day as US defense secretary, the Pentagon has been focused on bringing about a transformation in the speed, capacity and effectiveness of the US defense industry, Parnell emphasized in a statement. Hegseth's deputy Feinberg is working to reform an outdated procurement system, Parnell added. "Working directly with industry leaders to accelerate production is not new."
The Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) think tank in Washington estimated at the end of July the US had just under 830 Patriot defense missiles at its disposal. Before the war with Iran, the figure was estimated to be just over 2,300.
As for THAAD interceptor missiles, the think tank estimated there were 452 before the war. By the end of July, the figure was estimated to be down to as few as 278 missiles.
The Washington Post and CNN cited a memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg to the industry. Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the authenticity of the document to dpa.
US media have reported on dwindling stocks of critical weapons in the US military in recent weeks as a result of the war with Iran, despite President Donald Trump's dismissing the reported problems.
Feinberg, in the memo written on Wednesday, gave representatives of the defense industry a deadline of no more than three weeks to submit plans for faster delivery times and/or increased production for critical capabilities, the media outlets reported.
Feinburg told the industry that development cycles that take years "are unacceptable," the Washington Post reported.
Since Pete Hegseth's first day as US defense secretary, the Pentagon has been focused on bringing about a transformation in the speed, capacity and effectiveness of the US defense industry, Parnell emphasized in a statement. Hegseth's deputy Feinberg is working to reform an outdated procurement system, Parnell added. "Working directly with industry leaders to accelerate production is not new."
The Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) think tank in Washington estimated at the end of July the US had just under 830 Patriot defense missiles at its disposal. Before the war with Iran, the figure was estimated to be just over 2,300.
As for THAAD interceptor missiles, the think tank estimated there were 452 before the war. By the end of July, the figure was estimated to be down to as few as 278 missiles.
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