The Trump administration averted a world war recently. But the fight for peace is not over.
That’s why Trump’s Secretary of Defense just held a secret war meeting at the Pentagon that has all of Washington, D.C. panicking.
Trump Administration Rallies Defense Giants to Bolster America’s Arsenal Against Rising Threats
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth convened a high-stakes, closed-door meeting with leaders of the nation’s top defense contractors at the Pentagon last week. The urgent agenda was to accelerate the production of critical munitions to address dwindling weapons stocks amid escalating global threats, particularly from China. This initiative demonstrates the Trump administration’s commitment to maintaining peace through a robust and ready military.
A senior Trump administration official, speaking anonymously to discuss the private meeting, told reporters that the primary goal was to hold munitions manufacturers accountable. The objective is to ensure U.S. warfighters are equipped to confront sophisticated 21st-century threats. The meeting included executives from industry giants such as Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and BAE Systems, who were urged to step up production to meet the nation’s pressing defense needs.
This gathering followed Hegseth’s impassioned defense of recent U.S. military strikes against Iranian nuclear sites in June, highlighting the administration’s resolve to take decisive action to protect national interests. The strikes, part of a strategy to counter Iran’s aggression, demonstrated the critical need for a reliable supply of munitions to sustain such operations.
Hegseth was joined by Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, a former private sector executive with a keen understanding of industry dynamics. Together, they are spearheading efforts to address inefficiencies that have long plagued the defense sector under previous administrations. During the meeting, they implored defense executives to rise to the occasion, emphasizing the urgency of equipping the military to face current and future challenges.
Sources who attended the meeting, also speaking anonymously, told reporters that Hegseth stressed the unprecedented global threats facing the United States. He made it clear that neither he nor President Trump would tolerate delays in producing the munitions needed to deter or, if necessary, engage adversaries like China and Russia. “The U.S. faces unprecedented global threats and does not have years to wait for the munitions needed,” Hegseth reportedly told the industry leaders.
The urgency stems from multiple fronts where U.S. munitions have been heavily expended. The air campaign against Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen, known as Operation Rough Rider, involved striking over 800 targets, depleting hundreds of precision munitions, according to a Department of Defense press release. Similarly, the U.S. has provided $66.9 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, including millions of artillery rounds and advanced systems like HIMARS and Patriot batteries, as detailed by the Department of State. Support for Israel’s defense against Iranian missile barrages has further strained U.S. interceptor stocks, with Military Watch Magazine estimating that 15-20% of THAAD munitions were used in an 11-day period.
The looming threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan adds another layer of urgency. With China’s military buildup, including a naval fleet of over 400 warships compared to the U.S.’s 296, as noted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the U.S. defense industrial base (DIB) faces questions about its capacity to sustain a prolonged conflict against a near-peer adversary. A leaked naval intelligence assessment, reported by The War Zone, revealed China’s shipbuilding capacity is 200 times greater than that of the U.S., highlighting the scale of the challenge.
Hegseth urged the defense contractors to match the administration’s determination, invoking the spirit of America’s World War II-era “Arsenal of Democracy.” During that period, under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the U.S. produced 17 aircraft carriers, 300,000 planes, and 50,000 Sherman tanks from 1942 to 1945, as noted by the Heritage Foundation. The Ford Motor Company’s Willow Run Bomber Plant, for example, produced a B-24 Liberator every 63 minutes, totaling 8,685 bombers by 1945.
However, the current DIB struggles to replicate such feats. The Heritage Foundation reports that decades of under-investment have left the industry strained and overly consolidated, unable to keep pace with modern threats, particularly in a protracted conflict. Hegseth emphasized that reviving the DIB is essential to rebuilding the military and ensuring readiness.
Feinberg, leveraging his private sector experience, has been vocal about strengthening the defense supply chain. In his February Senate confirmation hearing, he stated, “Our supply chain is definitely weak. Our workforce needs to be improved. A big piece of improving our supply chain is working more closely with our private sector. We need people inside of government who understand their issues, understand what drives their boards, and understand what drives the pressure they get from shareholders.” In April, Feinberg issued a memo announcing efforts to rebalance the Department of Defense’s civilian workforce to rebuild the military and enhance deterrence.
President Trump has reinforced these efforts with an April executive order declaring it the policy of the United States to “accelerate defense procurement and revitalize the defense industrial base to restore peace through strength.” The order emphasizes the need to “rapidly reform our antiquated defense acquisition processes with an emphasis on speed, flexibility, and execution” and to “modernize the duties and composition of the defense acquisition workforce, as well as incentivize and reward risk-taking and innovation from these personnel.”
Hegseth echoed this commitment in his June testimony to the House Appropriations Committee, stating, “As President Trump has stated, our policy is peace through strength. That will require rescuing our stagnant defense industrial base.” He added, “Only by having the most powerful and lethal military in the world — and focusing it where it is needed most to protect and advance America’s interests — can we deter our nation’s adversaries and, if necessary, prevail in any potential conflict.” He also noted that while the DIB remains technologically advanced, “decades of under-investment have left it strained, overly consolidated, and at risk of not keeping pace with modern and near-peer threats, especially in a protracted conflict.”
Defense contractors are responding to the administration’s call. Lockheed Martin delivered the minimum engagement package for the eighth THAAD battery, enhancing the U.S. Army’s missile defense capabilities. “THAAD is a combat-proven, game-changing asset for America and its allies that’s being used in-theater to great effect right now,” said Lockheed vice president Dawn Golightly. BAE Systems is partnering with the Army to advance the M109-52 Self-Propelled Howitzer, with director Dan Furber stating, “We are working with DEVCOM-AC to continue modernizing the U.S. Army’s long-range precision needs.” Raytheon secured a $1.1 billion contract to produce AIM-9X Block II missiles, with president Barbara Borgonovi noting, “This award represents a historic milestone for the AIM-9X program, further emphasizing its importance to the U.S. and partnered nations.”
Army General Christopher Cavoli, Commander of U.S. European Command, told the Senate in April that Russia is rapidly replacing its losses in Ukraine, producing 1,500 tanks and 250,000 artillery shells monthly, far outpacing U.S. production of 135 tanks annually. Meanwhile, China’s naval dominance, with a capacity of 23.25 million tons compared to the U.S.’s 100,000 tons, poses a significant challenge. Trump’s April executive order addressed this, stating that “the commercial shipbuilding capacity and maritime workforce of the United States has been weakened by decades of Government neglect, leading to the decline of a once-strong industrial base while simultaneously empowering our adversaries and eroding United States national security.”
Recent conflicts have further depleted U.S. munitions. Operation Rough Rider in Yemen expended hundreds of precision munitions, while aid to Ukraine included millions of artillery rounds and advanced systems. The defense of Israel against Iranian missiles consumed significant THAAD interceptors, and a $21.87 billion backlog of weapons sales to Taiwan raises concerns about delivery delays amid potential conflict with China.
Military leaders have sounded the alarm. Acting Chief of Naval Operations Admiral James W. Kilby told the Senate, “We are using them at an alarming rate,” referring to SM-3 defense missiles. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell emphasized, “We need more munitions, air defense interceptors, long-range fires, artillery. Recent conflict tells us we need a lot more of them, and recent experience shows us that our industry is not producing them fast enough.” Navy Secretary John Phelan added, “Fully funding our munitions industrial base is essential, both for the near-term and the future. It’s something we need to focus on and get fixed.”
The Army is making strides, with Major General John Reim and others stating to the House that they have increased munitions production to support both domestic and allied needs. However, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Steven Morani warned, “DoD must increase critical munitions stockpiles to address capability gaps that have the potential to undermine U.S. national security. Current munitions inventories are depleted, and current production capacity is not sized to keep pace with increased demand.”
In the Indo-Pacific, Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of INDOPACOM, warned that munitions shortages are affecting readiness. “I was already dissatisfied with the magazine depth. I’m a little more dissatisfied with the magazine depth,” he said, noting that China’s aggressive maneuvers around Taiwan are “dress rehearsals for forced unification.” The Pacific Deterrence Initiative aims to counter this threat by investing in munitions prepositioning and allied interoperability.
Conservative think tanks have reinforced these concerns. The Hudson Institute warned that “shortfalls in U.S. weapon capacity and adaptability will be most problematic against an adversary like China.” The Heritage Foundation cautioned that failure to match China’s production could jeopardize deterrence, while the Foundation for Defense of Democracies urged increased defense spending and reforms to support allies like Taiwan, Ukraine, and Israel.
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