Patriot interceptor systems deployed at Vilnius Airport in Lithuania. Reuters=Yonhap News. 

The U.S. Department of Defense is demanding that defense contractors increase their missile production rates by two to four times, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 29th (local time), citing sources familiar with the matter.

This initiative stems from concerns that existing weapon stockpiles would be insufficient in the event of a potential conflict with China.

According to the WSJ, the Pentagon has established a "Munitions Production Acceleration Committee" and held multiple meetings to pressure missile manufacturers to ramp up production. Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg has also taken an unusually active role, holding weekly discussions with some company executives via telephone.

The report states that the Pentagon first convened a committee meeting with missile manufacturers in June.

Attendees at that meeting included Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kane. The meeting also brought together executives from major defense firms, new entrants such as AI defense company Anduril, and manufacturers of critical components like rocket propellants and batteries.

According to documents obtained by the WSJ, missile manufacturers were asked at the meeting to provide detailed plans to incrementally increase production to 2.5 times current levels over the next 6, 18, and 24 months.

Military authorities also demanded that they explain how they plan to attract new private capital and whether they can license their technology to other manufacturers.

The committee is focusing on increasing the production of 12 key types of missiles, including Patriot missiles, Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM), SM-6 missiles, Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM).

In particular, the Patriot interceptor is considered a top priority as its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, has struggled to keep up with surging global demand.

In fact, the U.S. Army has placed orders for approximately 2,000 PAC-3 Patriot missiles, with a total commitment of about $10 billion (14 trillion won) over the 2024–2026 fiscal years.

The Pentagon wants suppliers to ultimately produce the same number of Patriot missiles annually, which would represent four times the current production capacity, according to the sources.

In response to questions regarding the committee, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated, "President Donald Trump and Secretary Hegseth are exploring extraordinary avenues to expand military power and accelerate munitions production," adding that "this effort is a result of collaboration between defense industry leaders and high-ranking Pentagon officials."

Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM). Captured from the Lockheed Martin website. 

However, the WSJ noted that some officials within and outside the government worry that these production targets may be unrealistic.

It takes two years to assemble a single missile, and testing and certifying the safety and reliability of missiles from new suppliers alone can cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take several months.

Questions have also been raised regarding whether the budget for such an expansion is sufficient.

Although the Trump administration signed a tax bill in July that provides an additional $25 billion (approximately 35 trillion won) for munitions procurement over five years, experts believe that tens of billions more would be required to meet the Pentagon's aggressive goals.

"Companies do not build these items without a clear buyer," noted Tom Karako, a munitions expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). "Companies wait until the government signs the contract and provides the funding."

Defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon stated that they have responded to potential spikes in demand by increasing their workforce, expanding production facilities, and building up stocks of spare parts.

However, some suppliers are struggling to meet the new targets and are hesitant to invest in orders for which the government has not yet provided funding.

According to a letter obtained by the WSJ, Christopher Calio, CEO of Raytheon’s parent company RTX, warned the Pentagon in a letter dated July 3 that while they are prepared to work with the Department of Defense to increase production, the Pentagon must provide the necessary funding and firm commitments for additional munitions purchases.

Military officials have been concerned about the United States' ability to ramp up weapons production since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The war in Ukraine has led to a surge in the use of high-cost interceptors like the Patriot, but new missile order volumes have failed to keep pace.

Under the Trump administration, the conflict between Israel and Iran has led to the firing of hundreds of high-performance missiles, further depleting missile stockpiles.

Yonhap News