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Hegseth presses defense industry to ramp up munitions amid depleted stocks, China threat

In a high-stakes closed-door meeting at the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth convened top executives from America’s leading defense contractors, urging a wartime-level ramp-up of munitions production in response to mounting global threats and dangerously depleted U.S. weapons stockpiles. Drawing historical parallels to World War II’s “Arsenal of Democracy,” Hegseth warned that the U.S. does not have years to rebuild its defense industrial base amid simultaneous security crises involving Iran, Russia, and especially China.

Hegseth and Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg sharply criticized decades of underinvestment and bureaucratic inefficiencies that have left the U.S. vulnerable in a protracted conflict against a near-peer adversary. With Taiwan facing the threat of a Chinese invasion, and U.S. forces stretched thin defending allies and engaging in multiple combat zones, the meeting’s message was clear: the defense sector must act with urgency or risk being outpaced by America’s adversaries.

The meeting and subsequent defense actions reflect a broader shift in U.S. defense policy under President Trump’s second term — prioritizing speed, scale, and strength in military readiness. While defense contractors like Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and BAE Systems are showing signs of responsiveness with key deliveries and new contracts, systemic challenges remain. From missile shortages to supply chain fragility, the U.S. military-industrial base faces a generational test of will, capacity, and leadership.

Pentagon Meeting Overview

  • Participants: Pete Hegseth (Sec. of Defense), Steve Feinberg (Dep. Sec.), and leaders from Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, BAE Systems.

  • Objective: Urge faster production of munitions; hold industry accountable to support U.S. readiness.

  • Urgency: Hegseth declared the U.S. “does not have years” to prepare for possible future conflict.

Global Threat Landscape

  • Simultaneous Crises: U.S. aiding Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and fighting Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

  • Critical Depletion: Precision-guided munitions and interceptor stockpiles at dangerously low levels.

  • China Threat: PLA military expansion and naval supremacy outpacing U.S. production capabilities.

Defense Industrial Base (DIB) Challenges

  • Production Gaps: Russia expected to produce 250,000 artillery shells/month; U.S. lags far behind.

  • Infrastructure Strain: U.S. builds ~135 tanks/year; Russia may replace 3,000 in a year.

  • Maritime Disadvantage: China’s shipbuilding capacity outproduces U.S. by a factor of 200+.

Ongoing Industry Responses

  • Lockheed: Delivered 8th THAAD missile defense package.

  • BAE Systems: Advancing long-range M109-52 artillery modernization.

  • Raytheon: $1.1B Navy contract for 2,500 AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles per year.

Logistics & Backlogs

  • Taiwan Delay: $21.5B weapons backlog; many key systems not yet delivered.

  • Ukraine Drain: Over $66B in aid; millions of artillery rounds and hundreds of HIMARS & Javelins sent.

Warnings from Military Commanders

  • Admiral Kilby: Munitions are being used at “an alarming rate.”

  • Admiral Paparo (INDOPACOM): China poses most significant threat; warns U.S. munitions stocks “sit well below required levels.”

Policy & Reform Initiatives

  • Trump Executive Order: Calls for rapid reform of defense procurement; emphasizes speed and modernization.

  • Feinberg Plan: Rebalancing civilian workforce, rebuilding supply chains, incentivizing innovation.

Think Tank Assessments

  • Hudson Institute: Calls for scalable, adaptable weapons to counter China’s manufacturing edge.

  • Heritage Foundation: Warns U.S. cannot keep pace with China's production in sustained war.

  • Foundation for Defense of Democracies: Urges greater defense spending, FMS reform, industrial expansion.

Strategic Takeaway

  • The U.S. is at a critical crossroads where defense readiness, industrial capacity, and global deterrence are all under pressure. The next few years will determine whether America can regain its wartime manufacturing edge — or fall behind as adversaries prepare for the conflicts ahead.

https://justthenews.com/government/security/hegseth-calls-defense-industry-leaders-ramp-munitions-amid-depleted-stocks-and

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