Deputy Defense's COO wants munitions acceleration

Steve Feinberg, Deputy Defense Secretary

Pentagon Pushes Defense Companies to Boost Weapons Production After Concerns of Depleted Stocks

The Pentagon is pressing the U.S. defense industry to accelerate production of weapons to help replenish its diminished stockpile of munitions, including those depleted in the ongoing war with Iran.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement Saturday that the department was actively focused on boosting munitions acquisitions to provide “the weapons our warfighters need at the pace the threat demands.” He confirmed department efforts in the last week to significantly speed the process but insisted it was part of a broader modernization effort that predated the five-month-old conflict.

Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg wrote to industry leaders on Wednesday, giving them no more than 21 days to submit plans to “drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities," according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.

“Years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” Feinberg wrote. “We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now.”

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The Honorable Steve Feinberg is the 36th United States Deputy Secretary of Defense, having assumed office on March 17, 2025, after being nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate.

Acting as the Pentagon’s chief operating officer, he manages day-to-day operations, the defense budget, and weapons procurement.Background and Business CareerCerberus Capital Management: Feinberg is the billionaire co-founder and former CEO of the prominent Manhattan-based private equity firm. He stepped down from his corporate roles to enter government service.