A new report claims that the Pentagon is asking U.S. missile suppliers to double or quadruple the production of new missiles. The report comes amid concerns of a potential future war with China and a missile stockpile shortage caused by the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia and the recent conflict between Israel and Iran.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that Pentagon officials recently asked missile suppliers to significantly increase the production of new missiles. Sources with knowledge of the situation told The Wall Street Journal that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, and other top officials met with top representatives from multiple missile producers to discuss the increase in missile production.
“President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are exploring extraordinary avenues to expand our military might and accelerate the production of munitions,” Sean Parnell, the chief spokesperson for the Pentagon, told The Wall Street Journal. “This effort has been a collaboration between defense industry leaders and senior Pentagon officials.”
READ MORE: US quietly deployed missiles near China, sparking Chinese response
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon is pushing for stockpile increases for 12 different weapons as concerns mount regarding the potential for a military conflict with China, especially as China continues to threaten an invasion of Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Wall Street Journal reported that one of the weapons stockpiles the Pentagon wants to increase is the Patriot missile stockpile. According to the outlet, the Pentagon is asking missile suppliers to produce almost four times the current number of Patriot missiles that are produced for the United States.
According to Newsweek, the U.S. military has significantly depleted its missile stockpiles due to providing a large number of missiles to Ukraine over the past three and a half years following Russia’s invasion and the use of missiles and air defense interceptors during the conflict between Israel and Iran earlier this year.
The Wall Street Journal reported that analysts warned that the Pentagon’s push for increased missile production could require a greater financial investment than the funding that was allocated under President Donald Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act.” The outlet noted that the legislation, which was passed over the summer, currently allocates $25 billion for munitions funding for five years.
