Amid escalation in Iran: US expands production of Patriot missiles

The US is expanding production of Patriot missiles amid concerns over dwindling stockpiles due to fighting in Iran and Ukraine. The Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $58.6 billion for 2026-2032, aiming to accelerate production rates. The company plans to triple production capacity of PAC-3 MSE interceptors by the end of the decade.

The United States has decided to increase production of Patriot missiles amid concerns over dwindling weapons stockpiles due to fighting in Iran and Ukraine. The US Department of Defense awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $58.6 billion for the production of Patriot interceptors. This is a framework agreement for 2026-2032, expanding a previous contract signed last April. According to the Pentagon, the move is intended to significantly accelerate the production rate of interceptors, after the US supplied large quantities of weapons to its allies and used its own missile stockpiles during military operations in Iran. The Trump administration has recently been pressuring defense companies to prioritize expanding production over distributing profits to shareholders. Additionally, Lockheed Martin announced its intention to triple the production capacity of PAC-3 MSE interceptors by the end of the decade, reaching a rate of about 2,000 interceptors per year and expanding the workforce at its Arkansas plant by about 50%. The company will also invest between $8 and $9 billion by 2030 in upgrading more than 20 production sites in the United States. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is advancing similar production agreements with RTX for a dramatic increase in Tomahawk cruise missile production. According to an assessment by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the US military currently has fewer than 1,000 Patriot interceptors and fewer than 250 THAAD interceptors remaining—two of the US's main air defense systems that have been used extensively in the Middle East recently.