Pentagon urges faster US weapons production amid stockpile concerns

US defence industry pressed to boost output as munitions shortages raise security concerns amid Middle East tensions.The Pentagon has called on the United States defence industry to accelerate production of weapons to help replenish its diminished stockpile of munitions, including those depleted in the ongoing war with Iran.Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement on Saturday that the department was actively focused on boosting munitions acquisitions to provide “the weapons our warfighters need at the pace the threat demands”. He confirmed the department’s efforts over the last week to significantly speed up the process, but insisted it was part of a broader modernisation effort that predated the five-month-old conflict.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why are US Republicans losing faith in War Secretary Pete Hegseth?list 2 of 3US officials push back on reports of dangerously low munitions supplieslist 3 of 3Trump vows to find ‘leakers’ after reports of depleted Iran war munitionsend of listDeputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg wrote to industry leaders on Wednesday, giving them no more than 21 days to submit plans to “drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities,” according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.“Years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” Feinberg wrote. “We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now.”The memo comes as recent fighting with Iran used up more of the US military’s already diminished stockpiles of advanced missile interceptors. Experts say shortages in both offensive and defensive weapons could leave US forces less secure.Shrunken inventories of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors may force the US and its Middle Eastern allies to take greater risks to conserve those air defences, according to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. For example, it said, American forces may launch fewer missiles against incoming Iranian drones and missiles, raising the chance of one getting through.