AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Bloomberg reported that Steve Feinberg, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, amid concerns over shortages and gaps in weapons stockpiles, has called on major U.S. defense companies to accelerate their efforts in producing and delivering key weapons systems.
According to Bloomberg, Feinberg has announced that the Pentagon intends to increase the volume and speed of equipment procurement in key programs, including wide-area surveillance and reconnaissance systems, sensors and air defense missiles, as well as missile tracking systems.
He called on these companies to submit proposals for compressing delivery timelines and increasing production capacity in sensitive areas—especially satellite communications and next-generation air defense systems.
According to Bloomberg, the request from the Pentagon's second-in-command comes as the continuation of the war with Iran has highlighted the challenge of U.S. weapons stockpile shortages.
In a letter dated August 5 addressed to major defense companies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and RTX, Feinberg wrote, "Development projects that take several years are no longer acceptable. We must dramatically compress program timelines and increase our production capacity right now."
Bloomberg notes that these concerning warnings about the state of U.S. weapons stockpiles come as the U.S. military is simultaneously engaged in conflict with Iran and repelling missile and drone attacks on its bases in the region.
However, Donald Trump has rejected the shortage of military stockpiles, claiming that his country possesses a "huge volume" of weapons, and has warned that he will take action against those who claim shortages.
Consequences of Weapons Shortages
Bloomberg wrote that the Pentagon's pressure on defense companies to increase production is because high weapons consumption in the war against Iran has emptied stockpiles and called into question America's combat readiness in other parts of the world.
Mark Kimmitt, a retired brigadier general, and Beca Vasser, Bloomberg's director of defense analysis, have announced that the United States has consumed at least half of its Patriot missile stockpiles in the conflict with Iran, a situation that makes decision-making on sending weapons to allies such as Ukraine more difficult.
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