As U.S. forces continue striking Iran, the Trump administration is shifting the country’s defense industry into wartime production mode.
President Donald Trump met Friday at the White House with the CEOs of several of the United States’ largest defense contractors as the administration pushes to ramp up weapons production tied to the war effort. The meeting brought together companies responsible for building many of the missile systems and precision weapons now being used on the front lines of the U.S. campaign against Iran.
Executives from BAE Systems, Boeing, Honeywell Aerospace, L3Harris Technologies’ missile division, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and RTX Corporation attended the meeting alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Together, the firms account for a large share of the U.S. industrial base that produces advanced missile systems and other high-end weapons.
Trump’s post-meeting statement suggested the production ramp-up could be massive.
“We discussed Production and Production Schedules and they have agreed to quadruple Production of the ‘Exquisite Class’ Weaponry in that we want to reach, as rapidly as possible, the highest levels of quantity."
In defense industry terminology, “exquisite” refers to advanced weapons that are difficult and expensive to manufacture at scale. They often rely on complex supply chains and specialized production processes spread across multiple facilities.
The administration says expansion of those production lines is already underway. Trump hinted that companies have begun to increase plant capacity and add manufacturing infrastructure, with several states now competing to host new defense production facilities tied to the buildup.
“Expansion began three months prior to the meeting, and Plants and Production of many of these Weapons are already under way... States all over the Country are bidding for these new Plants.”
Lockheed Martin said Friday it is quadrupling production of what it described as “critical munitions,” reflecting the rising need for missile systems and precision weapons used by U.S. forces in the region. The company said the increase will focus on several weapons systems currently deployed during the Iran campaign.
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Air campaigns like the one now underway against Iranian targets tend to burn through precision-guided munitions quickly. Long operations involving repeated strikes and large numbers of targets can drain stockpiles faster than peacetime production lines are designed to replace them.
That pressure has already pushed defense manufacturers to accelerate timelines across several key weapons programs while maintaining the supply chains required for advanced munitions.
“We are committed to working with our industry partners to further strengthen the American military’s unparalleled capability with the greatest munitions in the world,” the company said. “We are moving with urgency, and we will deliver.”
The production push comes as U.S. forces continue operating under Operation Epic Fury, the campaign launched late last month.
According to U.S. Central Command, the operation has involved fighter aircraft, bombers, drones, and missile systems deployed across the region as American forces strike Iranian military targets. The scale of those operations has raised questions in Washington about how quickly the United States can replenish its weapons if the conflict continues or expands.
Administration officials have also discussed invoking the Defense Production Act, which would allow the federal government to require private companies to prioritize national defense manufacturing if additional weapons production becomes necessary.
Officials say the U.S. military currently has the weapons needed to sustain ongoing operations, but the meeting with defense industry leaders signals that the administration is already preparing the industrial base for a longer conflict if necessary.
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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