Lockheed Targets 2,000 Patriot Missiles a Year as $25 Billion Iran War Burned Through Stocks
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Sep 13
Lockheed Targets 2,000 Patriot Missiles a Year as $25 Billion Iran War Burned Through Stocks
2 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Sep 13
Summary
$4 million Patriot interceptors are being pushed onto a wartime production footing after the U.S. fired an estimated 1,500 in the Iran war, far above Lockheed Martin’s current 750-a-year output.
$25 billion in munitions has already been used against Iran, according to CSIS estimates, while the Pentagon campaign had struck more than 13,000 targets by April 8 and sharply depleted key missile inventories.
2,000 Patriots a year is Lockheed’s new goal, but six-week assembly times sit atop a supply chain of 500 to 1,000 suppliers, and critical rocket-motor expansion at L3Harris still needs 16 months.
10,000 low-cost cruise missiles are also planned from CoAspire and other startups, reflecting a Pentagon push for cheaper, mass-produced weapons alongside premium systems like Patriots.
1 to 5 years may be needed to restore stockpiles to pre-Iran war levels, and several more years to reach inventories planners would consider comfortable for a potential conflict with China.