President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet munitions makers at the White House on Wednesday to expand weapons production, following depleted U.S. stockpiles due to military operations in Iran and other conflicts.
Extensive U.S. supplies to allies and its own military operations have depleted inventories of air-defense and precision-guided weapons, pressuring contractors to boost output.
This is the second White House gathering with executives from major defense firms. A March meeting included CEOs from Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and others, as well as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Pentagon negotiators are pushing for faster production, with tentative agreements already in place.
Deals include Lockheed Martin tripling Patriot interceptor production and quadrupling THAAD interceptors for ballistic missile defense. RTX also has multiyear deals to boost production of the Tomahawk cruise missile and the AMRAAM air-to-air missile.
Five anonymous defense executives welcomed these, but stressed congressional funding is vital before heavy investment, warning premature spending could hurt earnings.
The administration has pressured contractors to prioritize production over shareholder payouts. Trump signed an executive order in January identifying underperforming contractors. GM Defense and Lockheed confirmed that their partnership was facilitated by the Pentagon in response to demand.
The Senate Armed Services Committee approved its National Defense Authorization Act, backing $1.15 trillion and multi-year munitions procurement.
While the bill awaits autumn, supplemental funding could come sooner. Demand for air defense systems has surged among the U.S. and its allies amid heightened geopolitical tensions and the conflict with Iran.
