Trump invokes Defense Production Act to refill US missile stocks
Why it matters: The move points to strain on US munitions after the 15-week Iran war and could redirect supplies from partners such as Ukraine and Taiwan.
President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to speed efforts to rebuild US weapons stockpiles thinned by the 15-week war in Iran and other conflicts. In a June 11 memo posted in the Federal Register, Trump directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use voluntary agreements and action plans to tackle what the order called “systemic constraints in the munitions industrial base.” The step expands the administration’s push to replenish interceptors and other weapons, including SM-3, SM-6, THAAD, Patriot and Tomahawk systems made by RTX and Lockheed Martin. The order comes after administration officials moved to conserve munitions, including pausing an arms sales package for Taiwan, while signaling that domestic stockpiles take priority over support for partners such as Ukraine.