The Pentagon announced that it had reached an agreement with contractors Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to boost the production of components for missile interceptors at a rate not seen in years, which will allow it to replenish the arsenal spent during the five months of war against Iran.
A report released by researchers at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) indicates that prior to the start of the war declared by President Donald Trump, the US armed forces had 2,200 Patriot missiles (of the two most modernized variants of the platform) and 452 THAAD missiles.
However, the strategy of destroying most of the Islamic Republic's military zones has proven counterproductive, as in a very short time its arsenal has decreased to fewer than 827 Patriot interceptors in the US stockpile and fewer than 278 THAAD ballistic missile interceptors.
Without this type of weaponry, the US military is unable to intercept enemy ballistic missiles and remains very vulnerable not only to possible Iranian attacks, but also from other larger caliber enemies.
Replacing the entire arsenal spent in the Middle East so far this year requires millions of dollars and a lot of time, since manufacturing processes are expensive and slow.
Through a statement, Michael P. Duffey, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisitions and Sustainment, referred to the significance of having reached an agreement with specialized manufacturers committed to meeting the demand for missiles and ammunition.
“Building Freedom's Arsenal requires strong and dynamic supply chains at all levels of the industrial base.
“Framework agreements with munitions component suppliers like Northrop Grumman are vital to accelerate the tripling of production of the PAC-3 missile and the quadrupling of production of the THAAD interceptor,” he said.
In another letter, Ben Davies, corporate vice president of Northrop Grumman, claimed to have the capacity to provide the missiles required by the US government in a relatively shorter time compared to its competitors in the market.
“Our long-term investments in innovative manufacturing technologies and resilient supply chains allowed us to go from steady production to dramatically increased production in record time.
As a major US producer of solid fuel rocket motors, we support the government's initiative to accelerate munitions production,” part of the text states.
