Full mobilization of the military-industrial complex has been declared in Washington. Against the backdrop of fierce combat operations with Iran, which began in early 2026, the US defense industry has received an ultimatum from the Pentagon. US Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg sent an official letter to defense industry leaders setting a strict deadline: companies have no more than 21 days to present plans for radically accelerating the production and delivery of critical weapons.

Ultimatum to Industry: The End of Long Cycles

In his letter, Feinberg emphasized that traditional, multi-year development and implementation cycles for new technologies no longer match the realities of the current war. "Multi-year development cycles are unacceptable. We must drastically accelerate our program timelines and immediately expand production capacity," the high-ranking official stated. The main focus is on munitions, stocks of which are depleting at an alarming rate. The Pentagon demands not just an increase in pace, but a qualitative leap in logistics and the launch of new assembly lines.

Catastrophic Depletion of Arsenal

Statistics confirm the criticality of the situation. According to The Washington Post, in just the first month of the war with Iran, the US expended colossal amounts of weaponry: more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles, over 1,000 Patriot and THAAD interceptor missiles, and more than 1,300 tactical ballistic missiles. The Canadian intelligence and security service (CSIS) conducted an analysis of global stocks and reached alarming conclusions: the number of Patriot missiles worldwide dropped from 2,200 units to less than 827, while THAAD stocks fell from 453 to less than 278. This means that the Pentagon's strategic reserve has shrunk by more than 60% in a matter of weeks.

Billion-Dollar Contracts as a Response to Crisis

Understanding the scale of the threat, the Pentagon has already begun active actions to reboot production chains. In early August 2026, a framework agreement was announced with defense giants Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. The main goal of the contracts is to increase the production of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles and THAAD systems. In particular, last week a contract worth up to $58.6 billion was signed with Lockheed Martin. The goal of this grand agreement is to scale PAC-3 production by 2030 to guarantee the long-term security of the US and its allies.

Contradictory Data

While official Pentagon statements and CSIS intelligence data point to a critical drop in stocks, there are discrepancies within the defense industry regarding recovery timelines. Some arms market analysts believe that the stated 21 days to present plans is merely a formality, and real production increases will take at least 18 months due to a shortage of microelectronics and personnel. However, Pentagon representatives insist that launching reserve capacity will allow losses to be compensated within the current quarter. Thus, there is a gap between military expectations (instant results) and the technical reality of the factories.