The United States Department of War (DOW) announced an initiative to increase production of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense systems. The effort, which includes agreements with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, aims to boost inventories and further strengthen supply chains of missile-interceptor components through expanded, long-term production capacity, according to the website Military Times.
“Building the Arsenal of Freedom requires robust, dynamic supply chains at every level of the industrial base,” Michael Duffey, undersecretary of war for acquisition and sustainment, said in a DOW statement. “Framework agreements with munition components suppliers like Northrop Grumman are vital to accelerating the tripling of PAC-3 and quadrupling of THAAD interceptor production.”
Patriot is a high-performance, mobile surface-to-air missile system that may be armed with a warhead, and is designed to defend against aircraft, cruise missiles, UAVs and tactical ballistic missiles. THAAD systems are not armed with an explosive warhead but destroy through collisions with short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their final descent.
The production initiative supports the department’s revitalized acquisition transformation strategy, executed in collaboration with the Munitions Acceleration Council, the Economic Defense Unit, the Missile Defense Agency and the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. It establishes a second source for solid rocket motors and ramps up production of ignition safety devices for the PAC-3 system. The agreement also increases production of THAAD components including midbody shells, muzzle covers and rail-car assemblies, according to the DOW statement.
In addition to increased missile production, DOW is seeking to increase the number of ground-based affordable mass (GBAM) weapons to replace expensive guided missiles. In August 2026, the department announced a challenge for teams to develop GBAM systems that cost less than $250,000 apiece. The precision-strike systems must be ready for demonstration by November 2026 and be ready for full-scale production within 18 months. The department plans to spend $250 million to “support prize execution and follow-on transition activities associated with this effort,” according to a department news release.
In July 2026, DOW announced it had a new office to accelerate the development, procurement and fielding at scale of autonomous capabilities.
“Drones and autonomous systems represent the most consequential battlefield innovation of this generation,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a news release. “Adversaries collectively produce millions of unmanned systems each year across all domains. While global military production has skyrocketed over the last three years, the United States must move at the speed this moment demands to field these capabilities at scale and secure our tactical and strategic edge.”