US military pushes companies to ‘dramatically accelerate’ weapons production as Iran war burns through supply, memo says

US military pushes companies to ‘dramatically accelerate’ weapons production as Iran war burns through supply, memo says The munitions shortage reportedly prompted President Trump to chew out Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week at Camp David - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments With the Iran war draining U.S. weapons stockpiles, the Pentagon is reportedly leaning hard on defense companies to bump up production — and fast. In a memo on Wednesday, Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg gave companies three weeks to lay out how they would “drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities.” “Years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” Feinberg added in the memo, which was obtained by The Washington Post. “We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now.” The Pentagon confirmed the existence of the August 5 memo and praised Feinberg as a “generational leader” who was “fixing our broken, antiquated, and immensely complex acquisitions system.” “Working directly with industry leaders to accelerate production is not new,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote in a statement to The Independent. “It has been the clear intent of the President and this Secretary from the start.” “The fiscal year 2027 budget currently being considered on Capitol Hill could supercharge this effort today,” he added. The demands come after weapons manufacturers were reportedly summoned to the White House in July, where they were allegedly urged to lobby Congress to pass another round of funding. President Trump has insisted the U.S. still has “massive amounts” of weapons, though tempers have reportedly flared over the issue behind the scenes. The president reportedly confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at Camp David last week over the munitions shortage, claiming he thought the problem “had been fixed” already. This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments