The U.S. Department of Defense has secured major agreements with Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, and Honeywell to drastically accelerate missile production in response to dwindling stockpiles amid Middle East conflicts.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced on Wednesday a series of landmark agreements with major defense contractors to transition domestic missile production to a “wartime footing.” The move comes as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East—marked by extensive use of interceptor missiles by U.S., Israeli, and Gulf forces to counter Iranian attacks—has sparked urgent concerns regarding the depletion of global munitions stockpiles.
In a primary deal, Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems have committed to a fourfold increase in the manufacturing of “seeker heads,” a vital component of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. This follows Lockheed Martin’s January announcement to accelerate THAAD production from 100 to 400 units annually. The Pentagon stated the objective is to put the “industrial base on a wartime footing,” ensuring that high-demand interceptors remain available as regional tensions persist.
Further agreements focus on offensive and navigational capabilities, including the accelerated production of Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). Lockheed Martin confirmed this order builds on a previous $4.94 billion contract with the U.S. Army. Additionally, Honeywell Aerospace will execute a $500 million multi-year investment to “rapidly increase the manufacturing of critical defense technologies,” specifically targeting navigation systems and actuators for the AMRAAM air-to-air missile and various electronic warfare solutions.
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