Trump urges defense firms to quadruple missile interceptor output

President Donald Trump convened CEOs of Lockheed Martin, RTX and Boeing at the White House, demanding an immediate surge in ammunition production after the Iran war depleted U.S. stockpiles. The Pentagon has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $35 billion to quadruple THAAD missile‑defense interceptor production and to triple Patriot interceptor output, while RTX received multi‑year deals for Tomahawk cruise missiles and AMRAAM air‑to‑air missiles.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg warned the contractors that current manufacturing rates are insufficient, echoing the executives’ remarks that “you are not doing enough.” The agreements remain framework deals; final funding must be approved by Congress in the autumn, leaving contractors wary of cash‑flow impacts.

The push reflects the administration’s broader effort to mobilize the defense industrial base, invoking the Defense Production Act and aiming to replenish depleted arsenals for the United States and its allies amid rising geopolitical tensions.