Pentagon Trying To Ramp Up Weapons Production To Get On ‘Wartime Footing’

The Department of War announced a series of new deals on Wednesday to quickly increase U.S. weapons production, as the Trump administration pushes to place the defense industrial base on a “wartime footing.”

The initiatives — spanning missile systems, critical components, and missile defense — are part of a broader effort to accelerate production and build what officials are calling the “Arsenal of Freedom.” 

The move comes as the United States has struck more than 9,000 targets in Iran, and after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in January barring defense contractors from stock buybacks and dividend payments until they accelerate weapons production. 

The order warned that delays and underperformance by the contractors threaten national security, and that production has not met the needs of the U.S. military and its allies.

One of the new central agreements is with Lockheed Martin to accelerate production of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), a long-range weapon capable of striking targets deep inside enemy territory at a range of 60 to more than 499 kilometers.

Under the framework, Lockheed Martin will invest in advanced tooling, factory upgrades, and testing equipment to reduce production delays and ensure that deep-strike capability equipment can be delivered faster. The agreement also opens the door for a potential multi-year contract of up to seven years, pending congressional approval.

“Through this agreement, we are actively building the Arsenal of Freedom with speed and urgency,” said Michael Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. “By empowering industry to invest in the factory floor, we are building a decisive and enduring advantage for our warfighters to outpace any potential adversary.” 

The Department of War said the effort is a “direct outcome of Secretary Pete Hegseth’s mandate to move faster, put the defense industrial base on a wartime footing, and build the Arsenal of Freedom.”

A separate framework agreement was reached with Honeywell Aerospace to surge production of critical munitions components, including navigation systems, actuators, and electronic warfare technologies. The agreement is expected to unlock a $500 million investment by Honeywell to expand and modernize its manufacturing capacity. 

Officials emphasized that the strategy is designed to strengthen the entire supply chain by sending long-term demand signals that allow smaller suppliers to expand production.

“Our strategy is to provide the long-term demand signals that unlock private investment, and this half-billion-dollar commitment from Honeywell Aerospace demonstrates we are succeeding,” said Duffey. 

In a third framework deal, the Department partnered with BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin to quadruple production of a key part used in the THAAD missile defense system. This component, known as a seeker, enables interceptors to track and destroy incoming missiles moving up to 17,000 miles per hour.

Officials say all three agreements are meant to give companies the confidence to improve production while ensuring the United States’ capacity to build and deploy necessary military equipment will outpace any adversary.

The initiatives are all part of the Department of War’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy and the work of the Munitions Acceleration Council, which is focused on expanding munitions production and procurement and removing production bottlenecks.