00:00In order to help replenish its diminished stockpile of munitions, including those depleted
00:04in the ongoing war with Iran, the Pentagon is pressuring the U.S. defense industry to
00:09accelerate weapons production.
00:11In a statement released on Saturday, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the agency
00:16was actively working to increase munitions purchases in order to supply the weapons our
00:21warfighters need at the pace the threat demands.
00:24He acknowledged the department's efforts over the past week to greatly accelerate the process,
00:28but he maintained that it was a component of a larger modernization effort that took
00:33place before the conflict began five months ago.
00:36According to a memo obtained by the Washington Post, Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg
00:42wrote to business executives on Wednesday, giving them a maximum of 21 days to submit plans to
00:48drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and or increased production
00:53for critical capabilities.
00:54Feinberg wrote, years-long development cycles are not acceptable.
00:59We need to increase our production capacity and drastically accelerate our program schedules.
01:04According to a recent analysis, the U.S. military's already depleted stockpiles of cutting-edge
01:09missile interceptors were further depleted by recent fighting with Iran, potentially increasing
01:15the risk to American troops should hostilities resume.
01:17Feinberg's memo calling for a quick increase in weapons production is real, Parnell confirmed
01:23on Saturday, adding that it will inform the fiscal year 2028 budget submitted to Congress
01:28for funding, and it is entirely consistent with our ongoing push to rebuild the defense industrial base.
01:34The U.S. military is extremely important for the Kennedy School and the U.S. military
01:34The U.S. military Wasser
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