The Pentagon signed seven-year agreements with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) and Lockheed Martin to increase missile production in the United States. According to the companies, the agreements "will increase production quantities and accelerate delivery timelines for critical missile subcomponents."
The agreements are part of an effort to expand what has been called the "Arsenal of Freedom." US Deputy Secretary of Defense Michael P. Duffey stated that the companies "answered the call" and that the goal is to reduce bureaucracy, shorten timelines, and rapidly expand domestic production capacity to provide advanced air and missile defense resources.
As context, Reuters reported earlier this month that the US Army had used much of its global stockpile of long-range precision-guided missiles during recent conflicts, which reportedly motivated the urgency behind the production agreements.
