Pentagon urges defense firms to boost production

Amid concerns over weapons stockpile shortages exacerbated by the Iran war, Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg sent an August 5 letter to major U.S. defense companies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and RTX Corporation, urging them to dramatically accelerate program schedules and expand production capacity for critical systems such as wide-area surveillance, air-defense sensors and interceptors, missile-tracking systems, satellite communications, and next-generation air-defense systems. He specifically highlighted Lockheed Martin's Next Generation Interceptor program. Companies were asked to submit plans by late August for more aggressive delivery schedules and increased production capacity. President Donald Trump denied that the U.S. is running low on munitions, asserting the country has 'massive amounts' while warning of punishment for those who claim a shortage, though he acknowledged some systems are 'a little bit tighter.'