U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Demands Ammunition Expansion Plans Within Three Weeks to Address Iran War

U. S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Feinberg sent a letter to senior executives of several defense companies on the 5th, demanding that they submit production expansion plans within three weeks. The letter states that the scale of weapons production and delivery, including ammunition, must be rapidly expanded to address the severe ammunition shortages that have arisen in operations against Iran. In the letter, Feinberg emphasized that multi-year development cycles are unacceptable, and that production schedules must be significantly accelerated and capacity immediately increased. He also required companies to submit specific plans for equipment investment and facility expansion.

In recent months, the Department of Defense has reached multiple framework agreements with several large defense firms and emerging defense companies, covering the expansion of supply for low-cost ammunition and advanced air defense weapons such as THAAD high-altitude defense missiles and Patriot interceptor missiles. These framework agreements are not legally binding, and contract performance still requires congressional approval of the corresponding budget.