WSJ: Pentagon pushes for cheaper missiles over weapon stockpiles concerns

The U.S. Department of Defence is accelerating efforts to develop lower-cost missiles as military leaders and lawmakers raise concerns about the country's ability to replenish weapons stockpiles quickly enough to meet future security challenges.

The Pentagon is increasingly turning to nontraditional contracting methods and asking defence companies to design new missile systems from the ground up in an effort to reduce production times and cut costs by hundreds of millions of dollars, The Wall Street Journal has learned.

The initiative comes amid growing concerns that the United States is consuming advanced munitions faster than industry can replace them. Those concerns have intensified following recent military operations and broader debates over America's readiness to respond to multiple conflicts simultaneously.

One of the U.S. Army's key programmes, known as the Low-Cost Containerised Missiles initiative, aims to deploy thousands of missiles launched from portable container-based systems that can be transported by vehicles. Under the programme's requirements, each missile must cost less than $500,000.

The Army is also seeking new air-defence interceptors priced below $250,000 per missile. By comparison, the latest Patriot surface-to-air interceptor missiles produced by Lockheed Martin reportedly cost about $4 million each and require more than two years to manufacture.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force is pursuing a separate effort to acquire tens of thousands of lower-cost missiles over the coming years as part of a broader strategy to expand available inventories.

Military officials have stressed that the new programmes are not intended to replace advanced missile systems currently supplied by companies such as Lockheed Martin and RTX. Instead, they are designed to complement existing arsenals by providing larger quantities of more affordable weapons for future operations.

Defence planners argue that establishing additional production lines now will provide greater flexibility and resilience in the years ahead, particularly if the United States faces prolonged or simultaneous conflicts.

At the same time, defence procurement practices continue to face scrutiny in Washington. Government watchdog agencies have accused some defense contractors of overcharging the military for equipment and spare parts, prompting calls from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers for stronger oversight.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have recently pledged to increase scrutiny of contractor performance and impose penalties on companies that fail to meet expectations. 

By Sabina Mammadli