A HIMARS artillery system in the Iran War (archive image).image: imago
The war against Iran has caused US arms stocks to shrink sharply. Now the government is increasing the pressure on defense companies.
June 26, 2026, 8:27 p.mJune 26, 2026, 8:27 p.m
After the ceasefire in the Iran War, the US government is apparently trying hard to replenish the ammunition stocks that have been reduced due to the conflict. This is reported by the New York Times.
President Donald Trump and top Pentagon officials this week urged defense companies to speed up production while also asking Congress for billions more to buy weapons. The aim is to accelerate the production of important weapons systems and receive additional billions for replacement.
According to the newspaper, representatives of the defense industry called for more financial commitments from the government at a meeting in the White House in order to be able to expand their production capacities. According to the report, Trump appeared willing to talk and referred to his administration’s efforts to provide additional funds. However, his request for around $70 billion to finance the Iran war is likely to face considerable resistance in Congress. Democrats in particular reject additional funding for the conflict.
Fired more than 1,000 cruise missiles
The Pentagon emphasizes that US forces have enough ammunition to wage a renewed conflict with Iran. However, the consequences for possible future conflicts – for example with China – were of greater concern. According to the report, the think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) warned last month that the stocks reduced by the Iran war had created a “window of vulnerability”.
Citing internal estimates from the Defense Department and congressional representatives, the newspaper reports that the United States has used, among other things, around 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles in the war against Iran. In addition, more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, more than 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles and more than 1,000 precision missiles and ATACMS short-range ballistic missiles are said to have been used. As a result, inventories have fallen to a worryingly low level.
Industry should significantly increase production
In order to boost production, the Pentagon is pushing the defense industry to invest more quickly in new manufacturing capacity, according to the newspaper. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that new programs were ahead of schedule and below planned costs. However, industry representatives pointed out that expanding production could take years as new supply chains would have to be set up and components would have to be extensively certified.
According to the report, defense companies are therefore increasingly looking for partners outside of the traditional defense industry. Lockheed Martin and GM Defense have agreed to work together to use experience from automobile production to speed up the production of ammunition and other military equipment.