Pentagon asks defence firms to ramp up weapons production as Iran war drains stockpile: Report

After heavy depletion of missile stocks, Pentagon asks defence firms to ramp up weapons production. Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth (AP image) The US Pentagon has asked defence companies to urgently accelerate weapons production and deliveries as Washington faces growing pressure to replenish critical munitions depleted during the war with Iran, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.The request comes amid reports that stocks of key air-defence interceptors, including THAAD and Patriot, have fallen sharply from pre-war levels.Deputy defence secretary Steve Feinberg wrote to defence industry leaders on Wednesday, giving them 21 days to submit plans for "significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities"."Years-long development timelines are unacceptable," Feinberg wrote. "We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now."The Pentagon said the push to increase production is part of a broader effort to rebuild the US defence industrial base and is not solely a response to the five-month-old conflict with Iran.Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that Feinberg's memo wa...