President Donald Trump urged top defense executives on Wednesday to accelerate weapons production, speaking at a Defense and Innovation Summit at the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania. The push comes as wars with Iran, in Ukraine, and across the Middle East have strained American munitions reserves, with stockpiles of Tomahawk, Patriot, and THAAD interceptors depleted.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine told industry leaders a day earlier to "go faster". Roughly $20 billion in private investment has been tied to plans to boost Patriot missile output, and Trump has proposed a $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027. An analysis concluded contractors would need at least three years to replenish key missile stocks.
Companies at the summit signaled expansion: Zero Eyes announced a planned $10 million investment in AI and machine learning research, while Gecko Robotics outlined plans for a new manufacturing facility to integrate robotics into defense manufacturing.