Now Reading: US munitions stocks plunge; Pentagon demands faster production
-
01
US munitions stocks plunge; Pentagon demands faster production
Deputy Defence Secretary Steve Feinberg has given US defence companies 21 days to submit plans to rapidly increase production of critical weapons, according to a Pentagon memo cited by The Washington Post.…
The Story in Brief
Deputy Defence Secretary Steve Feinberg has given US defence companies 21 days to submit plans to rapidly increase production of critical weapons, according to a Pentagon memo cited by The Washington Post. The urgent directive comes after the first month of the war with Iran saw the US fire more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and over 1,000 Patriot and THAAD interceptors, severely depleting stockpiles.
Global Patriot missile inventories have fallen from about 2,200 before the war to fewer than 827, while THAAD missiles dropped from 452 to under 278, according to CSIS analysis. The Pentagon has signed non-binding framework agreements with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, but experts warn that rebuilding stocks will depend on Congress approving additional funding.
The Indian Opinion
President Trump says the US has 'massive amounts' of munitions, but the Pentagon's 21-day sprint to boost production tells a different story. The gap between political bravado and operational reality is stark: almost nothing has been contracted yet. With Patriot stocks down by over 60%, the question is not whether industry can ramp up, but whether Congress will approve the billions needed before the next conflict.
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
