Reports warn of a missile shortage, but the Pentagon is signing contracts worth more than US$3 billion to expand production

The U.S. Department of War (DoW) signed two major contracts worth more than $3 billion with defense contractors Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin as part of an effort to significantly expand production of critical missile-defense components. According to the department, Northrop Grumman will accelerate production of solid-fuel motors and other components for the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) program, while also increasing production of essential parts for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

The PAC-3 MSE initiative, backed by a $2 billion contract, aims to strengthen the country's integrated air and missile defense network, the department said. In a separate contract valued at $1 billion, Northrop Grumman will increase production of structural components for THAAD interceptors, aiming to quadruple its manufacturing capacity over the next seven years.

Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin announced the agreements via their official X accounts. Subsequently, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth shared both posts and described the initiative as the "Arsenal of Freedom."

Reports point to a concerning reduction in the arsenal, but Hegseth denies it

The expansion of production comes at a time when lawmakers and defense officials have expressed concern over the depletion of U.S. missile reserves during the conflict with Iran. The Reuters news agency recently reported that supplies of various long-range missiles and interceptor systems have been severely strained after more than five months of military operations, raising doubts about the country's ability to respond to other potential conflicts in different regions of the world.

CNN also reported, citing two people familiar with the matter, that the U.S. Armed Forces have reportedly used up nearly 80% of their inventory of THAAD interceptors and approximately half of their Patriot interceptors since the start of the conflict with Iran.

Hegseth rejected that assessment and harshly criticized the way CNN presented the information after the network ran a ticker stating that U.S. weapons supplies were "dangerously low" and had been used "by nearly 80%." In response, the secretary wrote: "That banner is NOT TRUE, @CNN. Shame on you. We don't hate the Fake News media enough."

Before the war with Iran began, the United States had just over 450 THAAD interceptors. A recent estimate by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) concluded that, by the end of July, the inventory had been reduced to between 234 and 278 units.