Pentagon demands companies urgently increase weapons production

Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg sent a letter to defense industry leaders noting that they have no more than 21 days to submit plans for significant acceleration, more aggressive delivery schedules, and/or increased production of critical assets, The Washington Post reports.

"Multi-year development cycles are unacceptable. We must now dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand production capacity," Feinberg wrote.

This directive comes as weapons shortages have become a source of tension between President Donald Trump and the Department of Defense. It is also the latest in a series of measures taken by the Pentagon and the White House to address a problem that industry experts believe may remain largely unresolved until Congress appropriates additional defense funding.

In recent months, the Pentagon has announced several framework agreements with major US defense contractors and emerging startups to increase supplies of both low-cost munitions and advanced air defense capabilities, such as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and Patriot missile interceptors.

These framework agreements are legal, non-binding contracts between the US government and private sector partners that demonstrate the Department of Defense's intent to acquire weapons, but congressional funding is required for their finalization, industry experts noted.

"Directly collaborating with industry leaders to accelerate production is nothing new. This has been the clear intent of the President and the Secretary from the outset," said Pentagon Chief Press Secretary Sean Parnell.

He added that Feinberg's letter is genuine and will be taken into account when formulating the FY 2028 budget, which will be submitted to Congress for approval, and this is fully consistent with our ongoing efforts to rebuild the defense industrial base.

Photo: David B. Gleason.