The Pentagon announces a contract with Raytheon to accelerate the production of interceptor missiles

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The Pentagon announced Thursday that it had awarded the American company Raytheon Military Industries a contract worth $24.4 billion to accelerate the production of SM-6 interceptor missiles, in an effort to compensate for the US army’s stockpiles of munitions that were depleted during the war with Iran.

The Pentagon said in a statement that these missiles are “vital munitions against air and surface targets,” and that the agreement, which extends over a period of five years with the possibility of extending for an additional two years, “will accelerate the pace of production.”

The statement added that the deal “provides the defense industries with the long-term predictability necessary to expand workforce capabilities and secure vital supply chains.”

President Donald Trump has so far ignored questions related to the significant depletion of American ammunition stocks as a result of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28.

Last month, the US Department of Defense Inspector General stated that “the consumption of munitions in Operation Epic Fury led to a shortage in strategic stocks and revealed a slowdown in the resupply of munitions,” using the official name of the operation against Iran.

A September 15 Congressional Budget Office report noted damage to missile defense supplies that would “leave the United States with a diminished stockpile of interceptors for several years.”

Tehran continues to obstruct navigation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, more than seven months after the American and Israeli attacks against it, while Washington imposes a blockade on Iranian ports.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump told his aides that he expected to resume bombing Iran by late November, a step that would pave the way for Iranian military responses and further consumption of American ammunition.