Pentagon Doubles Missile Production, Creates Thousands of Defense Jobs

Pentagon Orders Missile Makers to Double or Quadruple Output

The Pentagon has asked missile manufacturers to boost production faster, with some weapons systems needing double or even quadruple their current output. Military officials are increasingly worried about maintaining enough stockpiles for potential future conflicts.

Urgency Driven by Depleted Stockpiles

U.S. military stockpiles have hit critical lows after sending heavy weapons to Ukraine and the recent Middle East conflicts. Ukraine used up a full year’s worth of U.S. 155mm artillery production in just eight weeks during 2022. On top of that, U.S. forces fired hundreds of high-end interceptors during the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which further drained the missile arsenal.

The Army’s response includes aggressive production increases. Monthly artillery shell manufacturing will jump from 3,250 to 20,000 rounds by spring 2023, and should reach 40,000 rounds monthly by 2025. All the same, this increased rate would cover only about one-third of Ukraine’s estimated need of 143,000 rounds each month.

Focus on 12 Critical Weapons Systems

The Pentagon’s speed-up efforts target 12 vital weapons systems, especially when you have potential conflicts with China in mind. These include Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles, Standard Missile-6, Precision Strike Missiles, and Joint Air-Surface Standoff Missiles. The core team from top suppliers met at a June Pentagon roundtable with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine.

Deputy Secretary Steve Feinberg heads the new Munitions Acceleration Council and talks weekly with defense executives to track progress. The team wants to map supply chains through multiple tiers to spot bottlenecks and find backup suppliers where single-source vulnerabilities exist.

Tomahawk and Patriot Missile Production Prioritized

Production surge efforts focus substantially on two missile systems. The Navy gave Raytheon a $1.6 billion contract to build up to 2,200 Tomahawk Block IV missiles for surface ships and submarine strike warfare fleets. These weapons feature revolutionary design elements while costing nowhere near the price of previous Block III missiles.

The Army signed its biggest-ever $9.8 billion contract with Lockheed Martin to deliver nearly 2,000 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles through 2026. Lockheed has ramped up production already, delivering over 500 PAC-3 MSEs in 2024—30 percent more than 2023. The company plans to boost production another 20 percent in 2025, aiming for 650 missiles annually.

Defense contractors have started expanding their facilities. Boeing completed a 35,000-square-foot factory expansion for Patriot seekers, while Northrop Grumman invested more than $1 billion to increase rocket motor output.

Defense Leaders Hold Emergency Meetings with Contractors

Pentagon officials have grown increasingly worried about missile production capacity, leading to more frequent meetings with defense contractors in recent months. Military officials have set up formal structures to coordinate this urgent work with industry partners.

Deputy Secretary Feinberg Guides Munitions Acceleration Council

Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg plays a hands-on role in the missile acceleration initiative. He personally leads the newly formed Munitions Acceleration Council. His background as former CEO of Cerberus Capital Management gives him significant private-sector experience for this critical task. Right after his Senate confirmation in March 2025, he made industrial base issues his top priority. His business background helps bridge gaps between government requirements and industry capabilities.

The council marks one of the most aggressive production acceleration efforts we’ve seen in decades. It aims to remove bureaucratic roadblocks that typically slow down acquisition processes. Feinberg’s direct involvement shows the administration treats munitions production as a national priority, not just a Defense Department issue.

Weekly Calls and Roundtables with Top Defense Firms

Feinberg has created never-before-seen involvement with defense executives through weekly phone calls to track progress and solve problems. These regular check-ins add to larger formal gatherings, including a major roundtable the Pentagon hosted in June with missile manufacturers.

This pivotal meeting kicked off the broader acceleration effort. It brought Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Keane, and weapons manufacturing executives together. These discussions stand out from typical Pentagon-industry meetings by focusing on specific production targets and timelines rather than broad capabilities.

Concerns Over Feasibility and Funding Gaps

Senior leadership’s enthusiasm faces reality checks from stakeholders across the defense industrial base. They question whether the Pentagon’s ambitious production goals work within current limits. Some suppliers call Washington’s goals “unrealistic” and point to ongoing funding challenges.

Contractors hesitate to invest in expanded production capacity without solid, long-term financial commitments. Some suppliers already struggle with new demands and worry about buying materials for orders the government hasn’t funded yet.

Military experts say successful production acceleration needs both technical feasibility studies and much more financial support. Recent congressional funding helps start things off, but industry leaders stress they need tens of billions more in predictable, multi-year commitments to hit the Pentagon’s accelerated timeline goals.

Defense Industry Expands Capacity and Creates Jobs

Defense contractors are scaling up their production capabilities. They’re investing billions in new facilities to meet the Pentagon’s urgent need for more weapons. This expansion is creating thousands of jobs across the United States as the defense sector tackles global security challenges.

Boeing and Northrop Grumman invest in new facilities

Northrop Grumman has invested heavily in its future. The company put more than $1 billion toward increasing its rocket motor production capacity. Their new state-of-the-art Missile Integration Facility opened in Rocket Center, West Virginia in September 2025. The facility spans 113,000 square feet—almost the size of two football fields. This setup combines production, assembly, testing and shipping under one roof. The company can now deliver 300 strike missiles each year.

Boeing has also expanded its operations with a new 35,000-square-foot factory that makes Patriot missile seekers. The company picked Jacobs to design its $1.80 billion expansion of an advanced fighter jet manufacturing facility near St. Louis Lambert International Airport. This massive 1.1-million-square-foot project will roll out in phases from 2026 to 2030.

Thousands of New Defense Careers Expected

The aerospace and defense industry supports over 2.2 million jobs nationwide. This represents 1.4% of U.S. workers. Defense companies need qualified workers to fill new positions as their facilities grow.

Northrop Grumman’s West Virginia facility will add many engineering and manufacturing jobs. The company is already one of the state’s largest manufacturing employers. Boeing also expects its workforce to grow at the St. Louis campus over the next several years.

Stock Market Reacts to Production Surge

The industry’s expansion efforts have caught Wall Street’s attention. Defense stocks jumped after the Wall Street Journal reported the Pentagon’s push to expand missile production. RTX gained 2.5%, Lockheed Martin rose 2.3%, Northrop Grumman added 0.9%, Boeing climbed 1.6%, and L3 Harris increased 1% in premarket trading.

Defense stocks are a big deal as they outperformed broader market indices in 2025. The NYSE Arca Defense Index gained about 34%, which is nowhere near the S&P 500’s 12% increase. Small defense companies led the charge. Seven of the top ten gainers on the defense index were mid- to small-cap companies.

Global Conflicts and China Threat Accelerate Production Push

Global conflicts have exposed critical vulnerabilities in America’s missile stockpiles. The Pentagon is accelerating weapons production nationwide as tensions with China continue to escalate. These developments have emerged recently.

Lessons from Ukraine and Israel-Iran Conflicts

The United States runs through missiles faster than it can make them. American naval vessels used about 130 SM-3 and 150 SM-6 missiles to defend Israeli airspace during Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June 2025. The Navy has fired an estimated 268 SM-2s, 159 SM-3s, and 280 SM-6s in Middle East operations since October 2023. This rapid use has depleted SM-3 stockpiles by 33% and SM-6 inventories by 17%.

Pentagon’s Focus Moves to Indo-Pacific Region

The Defense Department is making a decisive pivot toward the Indo-Pacific to address these shortfalls. Officials now see China as America’s “pacing challenge” – the only nation with both the determination and growing capabilities to overturn the rules-based international order. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that “the threat China poses is real and could be imminent”. Intelligence assessments show that China acquires sophisticated weapons systems five to six times faster than the United States.

Taiwan Tensions Drive Urgency in US Missile Production

Taiwan’s security has become the cornerstone of America’s missile strategy. US forces would run out of Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles within just one week of conflict in the Taiwan Strait, according to Center for Strategic and International Studies wargames. American forces could use up 5,000 long-range missiles in just three weeks of operations. Former Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Davidson believes Beijing might act against Taiwan “in the next six years”. This possibility has made production speed more crucial than ever.

Conclusion

The Pentagon aims to double or quadruple missile production in an unprecedented move that marks a crucial change in American defense strategy. Support for Ukraine and Middle East conflicts has left stockpiles at critical levels, which now poses an urgent national security risk. Military leadership created the Munitions Acceleration Council under Deputy Secretary Feinberg, and they show their dedication through weekly meetings with defense executives.

Boeing and Northrop Grumman lead the defense contractors’ response. They have invested billions in new facilities, including a 113,000-square-foot Missile Integration Facility in West Virginia. This expansion has created thousands of new defense jobs across the country and strengthened the national security backbone. Defense stocks have outperformed broader market indices as financial markets recognize the sector’s growth potential.

A harsh reality drives these changes: America faces growing global threats, especially from China. Military leaders caution that current production levels can’t support long-term conflict scenarios, particularly for Taiwan’s defense. The Pentagon’s ambitious targets reflect both current readiness needs and future strategic positioning.

Challenges still exist. Defense industry leaders question whether they can reach production goals without long-term funding commitments. The industry also faces workforce shortages that could slow expansion plans while companies try to understand complex supply chains.

In spite of that, this surge in missile production shows a basic shift in America’s defense industrial capacity. Questions about sustainable funding continue, but the Pentagon’s directive has already altered the defense manufacturing map. It has created thousands of jobs and helps ensure America keeps its military advantage in these uncertain global times.