The White House plans to meet with executives from the largest U.S. defense contractors on Friday to urge an acceleration of weapons output, senior administration sources said. The gathering is aimed at replenishing military stockpiles that have been drawn down by U.S. strikes on Iran and other recent operations.
Invitations have gone to companies such as Lockheed Martin and RTX, the parent company of Raytheon, along with key suppliers, according to people familiar with the arrangements who requested anonymity because the meetings were private. The outreach reflects an administration push to rebuild inventories of munitions and related systems.
Pentagon negotiators have faced difficulties finalizing agreements with large defense contractors as rapidly as they wish, a U.S. official told reporters earlier this week. That challenge is one of the central issues the White House hopes to address in the session.
In recent weeks the administration has increased pressure on contractors to prioritize production over shareholder returns. In January, the President signed an executive order directing identification of contractors judged to be underperforming on contracts while simultaneously distributing profits to shareholders. That directive is part of a broader effort to ensure industry focus on replenishing U.S. military stockpiles.
Officials and industry sources say the U.S. has consumed billions of dollars of weaponry since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and as Israel has conducted operations in Gaza, and more recently following strikes on Iran. The drawdown has included artillery systems, ammunition and anti-tank missiles, driving the need for increased manufacturing output.
In a sign of preparatory work ahead of Friday's meeting, Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg held a call on Wednesday evening with selected defense contractors, people familiar with the call said. That earlier engagement had not been previously disclosed. The Pentagon did not immediately comment on the outreach.
At the heart of the White House talks are negotiations with major contractors such as Lockheed Martin, two government sources and one industry executive said. Earlier this year, Lockheed reached a seven-year agreement with the Pentagon to raise annual production capacity for PAC-3 missile interceptors to 2,000 units a year from roughly 600. The company has also stated it expects to increase output of THAAD interceptors to 400 a year from 96.
Demand for air defense systems including PAC-3 interceptors has risen sharply among the United States and allied nations amid heightened geopolitical tensions and the conflict in Iran, officials say. The production expansions announced by contractors are intended to respond to that demand as well as to U.S. stockpile shortfalls.
The White House meeting may coincide with a supplemental budget request estimated at about $50 billion, a preliminary figure reported by news outlets earlier in the week. That funding would be used to replace weapons expended in recent conflicts, including those in the Middle East. Sources cautioned the $50 billion estimate is preliminary and could be adjusted depending on the duration of ongoing operations.
Any supplemental request would be in addition to roughly $150 billion in defense spending included in a broad Republican legislative package. How and when supplemental funds move through budget and appropriations channels was not detailed in the materials provided by sources.
Context and next steps
The Friday meeting brings senior industry leaders and White House and Pentagon officials into direct talks focused on accelerating production timelines and overcoming procurement or contractual hurdles. Officials involved have focused attention on ensuring manufacturers expand capacity quickly and on modifying contract terms where necessary to meet urgent replenishment needs.
Officials and industry participants are expected to discuss specific production targets and timelines, as well as potential barriers to rapid scale-up. The administration's executive order and recent high-level outreach underline a priority to shift corporate focus toward supply restoration ahead of shareholder distributions.
Reporting for this article relied on statements from administration and industry sources with direct knowledge of the meetings and agreements under negotiation. The Pentagon and some companies contacted did not immediately respond to requests for comment.