WASHINGTON – Top executives from major U.S. defense companies are scheduled to meet with Trump administration officials at the White House this Friday to discuss speeding up weapons manufacturing, according to five sources with knowledge of the planned gathering.
The meeting will include representatives from major contractors such as Lockheed Martin and RTX, the parent company of Raytheon, among other key defense suppliers, sources told reporters on condition of anonymity due to the private nature of the discussions.
This high-level gathering highlights Washington’s growing concern about weapons inventory levels following recent military operations against Iran that significantly depleted munitions supplies. U.S. weapons stockpiles have been steadily reduced by billions of dollars since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s military actions in Gaza, with artillery systems, ammunition and anti-tank missiles being heavily drawn down. The Iran conflict utilized more long-range missiles than those provided to Ukraine.
According to at least one source, the meeting’s primary focus will be pushing defense manufacturers to accelerate their production timelines.
Neither Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon, nor the White House provided immediate responses to comment requests, while RTX declined to comment. In a Monday social media statement, Trump claimed the U.S. maintains a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and that “wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies.”
The White House session coincides with Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg’s recent Pentagon efforts to develop a supplemental budget request of approximately $50 billion, which could be announced as early as Friday, according to one source. This additional funding would cover replacement costs for weapons deployed in recent Middle East and other conflicts. The preliminary figure remains subject to change.
Efforts to increase production have gained momentum following Saturday’s U.S. military strikes against Iran, which involved Tomahawk cruise missiles, F-35 stealth aircraft and low-cost one-way attack drones.
Raytheon, which manufactures Tomahawk missiles, has established a new Pentagon agreement to eventually increase production to 1,000 units per year. Currently, the Pentagon plans to purchase 57 missiles in 2026 at an average price of $1.3 million each.
The administration has been increasingly pressuring defense contractors to emphasize production capabilities over shareholder distributions. President Trump issued an executive order in January directing the identification of contractors considered to be underperforming on contracts while paying profits to shareholders.
The Pentagon is preparing to publish a list of underperforming contractors. Named companies will have 15 days to provide board-approved improvement plans. Should these plans be deemed inadequate, the Pentagon may pursue enforcement measures, including contract cancellations.
