US signs $24.4b deal to rebuild missile stockpile depleted by Iran war
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "US signs $24.4b deal to rebuild missile stockpile depleted by Iran war")
File photo of Donald Trump. Photograph: (AFP)
The Pentagon's inspector general reported last month that munitions used in what was officially designated Operation Epic Fury have led to significant gaps in strategic inventory and exposed weaknesses in the industrial base's ability to keep pace with resupply needs.
The Pentagon on Thursday said that it has awarded Raytheon a $24.4 billion contract to accelerate production of SM-6 missiles as the US moves to replace the large amount of munitions expended during the conflict with Iran. These missiles serve as key weapons for both anti-air and anti-surface warfare.
"This five-year agreement, with two additional option years, will drive faster production," the Pentagon said in a statement. "The deal provides the defence industry with the long-term predictability needed to expand workforce capacity and secure critical supply chains," the statement added.
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Operation Epic Fury
President Donald Trump has largely avoided addressing concerns about how heavily the campaign against Iran, which the US and Israel began on February 28, has drawn down American weapons stockpiles. However, the Pentagon's inspector general reported last month that munitions used in what was officially designated Operation Epic Fury have led to significant gaps in strategic inventory and exposed weaknesses in the industrial base's ability to keep pace with resupply needs.
According to the Congressional Budget Office report, the hit to missile defence supplies will leave the United States with a reduced inventory of interceptors for several years. In addition, Iran continues to put pressure on the Hormuz more than seven months after the initial US and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic, while Washington is blockading Iran's ports. Meanwhile, Trump said he expects to continue bombing Iran by late November. The move will set the stage for further Iranian strikes and more expenditures of American munitions.
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