The United States may need at least three years to rebuild inventories of several key missile types depleted by the war with Iran and other military commitments, according to a Wall Street Journal assessment cited by Interfax.
The weapons include Tomahawk cruise missiles, Patriot interceptors, SM-3 and SM-6 ship-based interceptors, THAAD systems and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. Even as manufacturers accelerate output, many new munitions are not expected to reach U.S. forces for several years.
$23 Billion Tomahawk Contract
The U.S. Navy awarded RTX a $23 billion contract for new Tomahawk missiles in August. The company’s Arizona plant is operating around the clock, with a long-term target of producing more than 1,000 missiles a year.
Production in 2026 is not expected to exceed 400 missiles, however, according to a source cited by the Journal. U.S. forces fired more than 1,000 Tomahawks during two months of war with Iran, the report said.
Estimates of the depletion vary. The Journal, citing the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the United States used about one-third of its prewar Tomahawk inventory and roughly half of its most advanced Patriot interceptors.
Manufacturers Expand Capacity
Lockheed Martin is hiring hundreds of workers in Arkansas as it seeks to triple Patriot interceptor production. Boeing, L3Harris and Northrop Grumman are also building additional capacity for electronics, motors and other components.
The Associated Press previously reported that the Pentagon gave defense companies 21 days to submit plans for faster production. Reuters reported that Lockheed planned $8 billion to $9 billion in investments and had brought General Motors Defense into Patriot-component production.
Rebuilding the inventories also affects U.S. support for allies because Patriot remains a major defense system for Ukraine and European countries facing ballistic-missile threats.