Trump to Press 7 Defense Chiefs on Missile Output as U.S. Tomahawk Use Tops 1,000
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Jun 10
Trump to Press 7 Defense Chiefs on Missile Output as U.S. Tomahawk Use Tops 1,000
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Jun 10
Summary
Roughly seven defense-company leaders are preparing for a White House meeting with Trump this week, where he is expected to demand faster weapons production amid anger over thinning U.S. missile stockpiles.
1,000 or more Tomahawk missiles have been used since the Iran war began, according to CSIS estimates, highlighting a munitions burn rate that has alarmed defense officials and lawmakers.
The strain has already forced the U.S. to pull munitions from stockpiles in Europe and Asia, while most current missile production still serves older contracts rather than new replenishment orders.
$20 billion more may be needed to rebuild missile inventories to pre-2022 levels, and even if new Tomahawk contracts were signed now, replenishment could take more than three years.
The pressure comes as Trump weighs restarting major combat operations in Iran and the House Appropriations Committee advances a defense bill of more than $1 trillion with munitions production as a focus.
Can cheaper, mass-produced missiles maintain America's technological edge in future wars?
Has the costly Iran war left America's Pacific defenses dangerously exposed?
U.S. Missile Stockpile Crisis Post-Iran War: Production Bottlenecks, Strategic Vulnerability, and the Urgent Path to Replenishment
Overview
After the intense three-month war with Iran ended in June 2026, the U.S. military faced a critical crisis: missile stockpiles were severely depleted due to unprecedented use of Tomahawk, Patriot, and THAAD systems during extensive air defense and precision strike operations. This sudden shortage exposed a major vulnerability in U.S. defense readiness, raising urgent concerns about the ability to respond to future threats. In response, the government ordered the defense industry to rapidly ramp up missile production, but deep-rooted supply chain bottlenecks and slow manufacturing processes mean rebuilding these arsenals will be a long and challenging effort.