The Pentagon is reportedly pressuring the U.S. military industry to drastically accelerate the production and delivery of weapons, according to a Department of Defense memo obtained by The Washington Post.
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The request is mainly focused on the manufacture of ammunition, whose stocks have been severely depleted by the ongoing war with Iran, despite the Donald Trump Administration repeatedly denying a shortage of war material.
The circular, signed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg, highlights the extreme shortage of key systems and underscores tensions around the dwindling U.S. arsenal amid the prolonged war against Tehran.
According to the newspaper, U.S. forces have spent enormous amounts of precision ammunition in the conflict that began on February 28, 2026.
An independent analysis conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), based in Washington, estimated that the number of Patriot interceptors dropped from approximately 2,200 before the conflict to less than 827; while THAAD missiles decreased from 452 to less than 278.
U.S. forces also launched more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and replenishing pre-war stocks could extend until the late 2030s if current production rates continue.
“The United States has enough ammunition for any plausible scenario in the war against Iran, but the depletion of reserves has created a window of vulnerability to a possible conflict in the Western Pacific”, CSIS stated in a previous assessment.
On several occasions, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth publicly downplayed the crisis, telling lawmakers that the ammunition problem “has been foolishly and uselessly exaggerated” and that “we have all the ammunition needed to execute what we have to execute.”
However, as The Washington Post points out, White House actions, including invoking the Defense Production Act and seeking emergency funds, reveal deep concerns within the Executive Branch.
Feinberg’s circular is part of a broader initiative that includes multi-year framework agreements with traditional contractors as well as new defense technology companies.
Thus, in meetings with executives from several of these firms, Hegseth has emphasized that companies will be “fundamental to replenishing the country’s supplies”.
The Pentagon also announced agreements aimed at aggressively expanding the production of low-cost missiles with factories such as Anduril and Castelion, among others, with the goal of acquiring thousands of attack weapons in the coming years.
In response, major construction companies are expanding their capacity. Lockheed Martin is working to triple production of Patriot PAC-3 interceptors and quadruple THAAD production, while RTX (Raytheon’s parent company) seeks to increase Tomahawk missile manufacturing.
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According to the report, these companies have reported a large increase in order backlogs and raised their profit expectations due to this surge in demand, both from U.S. replenishment needs and purchases from other customers.
“Contractors willing to change with us will thrive and grow”, Feinberg told industry figures. “Those who do not and resist will disappear,” he warned them.
U.S. authorities acknowledge that full recovery will take years, even with accelerated efforts, leaving regional commands in Asia and Europe temporarily less prepared for other contingencies.
In response, the White House has requested additional funding from Congress, including billions specifically for ammunition, while encouraging private investment in new plants and production lines.
Hegseth has praised industry measures “so that we are getting weapons faster than ever.”
Before Feinberg’s memo was revealed, the Army announced the opening of five military test fields to private companies developing missiles, drones, and other weapons, aiming to reduce the time to test systems and incorporate them into the acquisition process by months – even years.
According to Time magazine, U.S. military secretary Dan Driscoll announced the initiative on Friday at a field in Michigan and told reporters this effort would cut the months of bureaucratic procedures military contractors must overcome before launching new technologies.
Driscoll explained that it takes a company between 12 and 18 months to test a product “that can improve a soldier’s life, increase their lethality, and keep them safer.” “That is not enough,” he pointed out.
As Time explains, before acquiring weaponry, the Pentagon requires several rounds of rigorous testing to ensure weapons are combat-ready. This can lead to potential manufacturers having to wait a long time to demonstrate their products’ viability.
To shorten this timeframe, the Army also launched an online portal that allows ammunition manufacturers to request access to a firing range. Through this, a military advisor helps confirm availability and reserve a date.
Driscoll stated that this process ensures companies, which do not need to have active contracts but could become government suppliers in the future, will have access to a firing range within 30 days of the request.
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