Washington, D.C. — September 29, 2025 — The United States Department of Defense has instructed its leading defense contractors to dramatically increase missile and advanced weapons production—by as much as two to four times the current levels—amid mounting concerns of a possible confrontation with China.
According to a detailed report published in The Wall Street Journal, Pentagon officials are deeply alarmed by what they describe as “dangerously low stockpiles” of U.S. precision-guided munitions. The depletion of missile reserves, partly due to recent conflicts involving allies, has raised questions about America’s ability to sustain a prolonged military campaign if tensions with China escalate into open conflict.
Pentagon’s Urgency
The report revealed that Pentagon leaders, including Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, have been directly engaging with top executives of major missile manufacturers. Feinberg is said to be personally overseeing the production ramp-up, maintaining weekly contact with company heads to monitor progress.
Senior-level meetings between Pentagon brass and defense industry representatives have already been held multiple times this year. One key session in June reportedly included U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kane, underscoring the urgency of the matter.
Representatives from Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Anduril Industries, and other firms attended these sessions, where they were instructed to prepare for an aggressive expansion of manufacturing capacity.
Industry Response
Defense contractors have responded by announcing plans to hire thousands of additional workers, expand factory facilities, and build up reserves of key components to prevent supply chain disruptions. Executives acknowledged that scaling up production at such speed poses challenges, but said they were committed to meeting Pentagon expectations.
One executive was quoted as saying: “This is not just about contracts; this is about national readiness. The stakes are higher than ever.”
Context: Stockpiles Stretched Thin
The urgency is rooted in the rapid depletion of missile stockpiles over recent years. During the 12-day war between Israel and Iran earlier this year, the U.S. supplied hundreds of advanced missiles to support Israel’s defense, leaving U.S. inventories further drained.
The Trump administration had already introduced aggressive production targets earlier in 2025, but the scale of current demands far exceeds previous plans.
Twelve Critical Weapon Systems
According to classified Pentagon documents cited in the report, the Department of Defense has identified 12 priority weapons systems deemed essential for a potential conflict with China. These include:
- Patriot interceptor missiles
- Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM)
- Standard Missile-6 (SM-6)
- Precision Strike Missiles
- Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM)
Among these, the Patriot missile system has emerged as the Pentagon’s top priority. Officials reportedly expressed frustration that Lockheed Martin has struggled to meet surging global demand for Patriot systems, particularly the PAC-3 variant.
Production Timelines
To address the shortages, the Pentagon has demanded detailed production ramp-up plans from manufacturers, requiring them to outline how output will increase within 6, 18, and 24 months. Specifically, companies have been asked to boost production to 2.5 times the current levels within the next two years, with further expansion planned beyond that.
In September, the U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth nearly $10 billion to produce approximately 2,000 PAC-3 Patriot missiles between 2024 and 2026. Pentagon officials, however, are now pushing for even higher output, indicating they want that level of production annually, which would represent nearly four times the company’s current capacity.
Strategic Concerns Over China
While Pentagon officials have been cautious in their public statements, the push to expand missile manufacturing is widely seen as preparation for a potential clash with China, particularly over Taiwan and disputed areas in the South China Sea.
Military analysts warn that any conflict with Beijing would likely involve heavy use of long-range precision-guided munitions. “A war with China would be fundamentally different from counterinsurgency operations in Iraq or Afghanistan,” one defense expert explained. “It would be high-intensity, fast-paced, and technology-driven. The U.S. would need massive stockpiles of missiles to maintain an edge.”
Industrial Challenges Ahead
Despite the urgency, industry insiders caution that rapidly scaling up production is easier said than done. Modern missile systems involve highly complex supply chains, specialized components, and strict quality controls. Even with funding, bottlenecks in production capacity and workforce training could delay the Pentagon’s ambitious timeline.
Additionally, the surge in demand could drive up costs. Congress will likely face debates over how much additional funding should be allocated to sustain such an expansion.
Looking Ahead
The Pentagon’s directive marks one of the most aggressive attempts in recent history to mobilize America’s defense industrial base. Observers say it echoes Cold War-era mobilization efforts, when the U.S. dramatically increased weapons output to maintain superiority over the Soviet Union.
The coming months will be critical in determining whether American defense contractors can meet the challenge. For now, the message from Washington is clear: prepare for the possibility of a high-intensity conflict with China, and ensure the U.S. never faces a shortage of the missiles it might need.
