The US Defense Department announced Wednesday agreements with defense contractors to put missile production “on a wartime footing” as the Mideast war leads to rapid use of munition stocks.

The extensive use of interceptor missiles by the United States, Israel and the Gulf states to counter Iranian retaliatory attacks has raised concerns about stockpile sizes.

In the first deal, Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems agreed to a fourfold increase in production of “seeker heads,” a key component for the THAAD anti-missile system that has seen significant use in the Middle East.

The goal is to put the “industrial base on a wartime footing,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

At the end of January, Lockheed Martin had already announced an acceleration of its THAAD production from around 100 a year to about 400 annually within a few years.

A second deal with Lockheed Martin will accelerate production of Precision Strike Missiles, or PrSM, tactical ballistic missiles used for the first time against Iran. They succeed the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS.

Lockheed Martin confirmed the order, saying in a statement it builds on a previous $4.94 billion contract award from the US Army last year.

In a third deal, Honeywell Aerospace agreed to boost the production of “critical components for America’s munitions stockpile,” including navigation systems, the Pentagon said.

Honeywell said it included a multi-year investment of $500 million to upgrade its production capabilities to “rapidly increase the manufacturing of critical defense technologies.”

It has committed to manufacturing more navigation systems as well as actuators for missile maneuverability and electronic warfare solutions, particularly for AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles with radar guidance.

AFP