U.S. Department of Defense Signs Contracts to Triple Patriot and Quadruple THAAD Production Amid Stockpile Concerns

Amid growing concerns over depleted U.S. military interceptor missile stockpiles due to the aftermath of the war with Iran, the U.S. Department of Defense has signed contracts with defense contractors to expand interceptor production.

The Defense Department announced, "We have announced two framework agreements with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to expand production capacity for interceptor missile components."

According to the Defense Department, the agreements will enable a threefold increase in the production of Patriot (PAC-3) missiles and a fourfold increase in THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) systems, respectively.

"Building the Arsenal of Freedom requires a robust and dynamic supply chain at every level of the industrial base," said Michael Duffy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. "Framework agreements with munitions component suppliers like Northrop Grumman are essential to accelerating the process of tripling PAC-3 production and quadrupling THAAD production."

While the Defense Department did not disclose the exact contract value, Bloomberg reported, citing an announcement by Northrop Grumman, that the deal is valued at 3 billion dollars (approx. 4.3 trillion won).

The Defense Department's announcement comes amid mounting concerns that interceptor missile stockpiles for U.S. air defense networks are running increasingly low due to the war with Iran, which has now entered its sixth month.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a U.S. think tank, estimated that as of July 27, PAC-3 stockpiles stood at 759 to 827 rounds (compared to 2,330 rounds before the war), and THAAD stockpiles at 234 to 278 rounds (compared to 452 rounds before the war).

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a halt to airstrikes on July 24 after U.S. forces carried out consecutive airstrikes on Iran for 13 days, stating that talks with Iran were underway. Reports have suggested that the true reason behind the decision to suspend the airstrikes was a shortage of interceptor missile stockpiles.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.