IRIA News

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The U.S. Department of War is pressing defense companies to accelerate weapons production as the war with Iran continues to put pressure on American stocks of advanced missiles and air defense interceptors.

Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg has given defense companies 21 days to submit plans for faster deliveries and increased production of critical weapons, according to a Pentagon memo obtained by The Washington Post.

The move comes as U.S. officials face growing concerns over depleted inventories of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors, as well as long-range precision weapons.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that Feinberg’s memo was genuine and said the effort was part of the department’s broader campaign to rebuild the U.S. defense industrial base.

The Pentagon said its objective is to provide “the weapons our warfighters need at the pace the threat demands,” while stressing that efforts to expand production began before the five-month-old conflict with Iran.

Feinberg said years-long development and production cycles were no longer acceptable and called for a significant expansion of manufacturing capacity.

Missile stockpiles under pressure

The most immediate concern is the declining number of high-end missile interceptors available to U.S. forces.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates that the U.S. had about 2,330 Patriot interceptors before the war. That number fell to around 1,030 by the April ceasefire and is now estimated at between 759 and 827 following renewed fighting. The figures represent a reduction of at least 65 percent from pre-war levels.

THAAD stocks have also fallen sharply. The U.S. had about 452 THAAD interceptors before the conflict, according to CSIS. The inventory dropped to between 232 and 262 by the April ceasefire and has since recovered only slightly, reaching an estimated 234 to 278 interceptors.

That leaves the THAAD inventory at least 38% below its pre-war level. Separate reporting has indicated that the U.S. military has used a large share of its long-range precision weapons during the conflict. ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles have been among the systems expended, while the number of Tomahawk cruise missiles has also declined significantly.

According to IRIA experts, the issue is not simply the number of missiles remaining in storage. The larger challenge is the speed at which sophisticated weapons can be manufactured and delivered to replace those used in combat.

Current production rates remain far below the pace required to restore inventories quickly. Analysts cited by CNN estimated that the Pentagon was receiving roughly 15 new Tomahawks and about 20 new Patriot missiles each month. CSIS has estimated that rebuilding THAAD inventories to pre-war levels could take three years or more.

Pentagon Turns to Defense Industry

The Pentagon is now seeking to shorten that timeline. Feinberg’s memo calls on defense companies to provide “significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules” and increase production of critical capabilities.

The department has already taken steps to expand production of missile-defense components. Earlier this month, the Pentagon reached agreements with major defense companies to increase manufacturing capacity for components used by Patriot and THAAD systems.

The effort is expected to be included in the fiscal year 2028 defense budget submitted to Congress. The push reflects a broader concern that the U.S. defense industrial base has struggled to rapidly replace sophisticated weapons once they are consumed in sustained combat.

Analysts at IRIA suggest that the Iran conflict has exposed a gap between the scale of U.S. weapons consumption during a major conflict and the existing pace of industrial replenishment. Even with additional funding, some advanced systems could take years to return to previous inventory levels because of production lead times and limited manufacturing capacity.

Some weapons could recover more quickly. CSIS estimates that inventories of systems such as the Precision Strike Missile and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile could return to pre-war levels by mid-to-late 2027. High-end air defense interceptors, however, are expected to take considerably longer.

Air Defense Concerns for Allies

The stockpile problem also affects U.S. partners in the Middle East. Several Gulf states rely heavily on American air defense systems to protect their territory, military facilities, and critical infrastructure.

Officials in the region have expressed concern that reduced U.S. interceptor stocks could make it more difficult to respond to Iranian missile and drone attacks if the conflict escalates again. A CSIS assessment warned that smaller inventories could force U.S. forces and regional allies to make more difficult decisions about when to use expensive interceptors.

One possible consequence would be engaging fewer incoming drones or missiles in situations where commanders would normally use defensive missiles, increasing the possibility that some threats could reach their targets.

The issue became particularly important as the Trump administration considered additional strikes against Iran. Concerns about depleted weapons stocks were among the issues discussed by senior U.S. military officials before President Donald Trump decided to call off planned strikes over the weekend.

Trump had reportedly been prepared to authorize further major operations but stepped back after discussions with Middle Eastern allies, who warned of possible Iranian retaliation against energy infrastructure. The decision does not rule out future U.S. strikes against Iran.

Trump Rejects Shortage Concerns

President Donald Trump has publicly rejected suggestions that the United States lacks sufficient weapons. Trump said the U.S. has “massive amounts” of munitions and argued that large quantities were continuing to be manufactured and shipped to the country.

The White House and Pentagon have similarly insisted that the U.S. military retains sufficient capabilities to carry out the president’s objectives.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the U.S. military had conducted successful operations across multiple combatant commands while maintaining a broad arsenal of capabilities. However, the Pentagon’s decision to demand significantly faster production highlights the pressure created by the war despite those assurances.

The existence of the Feinberg memo, confirmed by the Pentagon itself, indicates that Washington sees an urgent need to increase production even as officials dispute the severity of the shortages.

Wider Strategic Implications

The depletion of advanced weapons could have consequences beyond the Iran conflict. The United States maintains forces and security commitments across Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. A prolonged requirement to replenish missile inventories could therefore affect how Washington approaches other potential conflicts.

The United States possesses one of the world’s largest defense industries and continues to spend heavily on military capabilities, but some of its most advanced weapons cannot be replaced at the same speed at which they can be used during sustained combat.

This creates a difficult balance for U.S. planners. Washington must continue supporting forces currently engaged in the Middle East while preserving enough stocks for other potential contingencies.

The concern is particularly significant for air defense systems such as Patriot and THAAD because there are limited substitutes for their capabilities against certain ballistic missile and aerial threats.

With Congress still debating future defense spending and the Trump administration seeking to raise Pentagon funding to about $1.5 trillion from roughly $900 billion the previous year, the speed at which additional money can translate into actual weapons will remain a key question.

For Washington, the challenge is no longer only how much it can spend on defense, but how quickly that spending can produce the missiles, interceptors and other weapons required for sustained military operations.