Pentagon orders more missiles for Mideast war

Washington: The US Department of Defense on Wednesday announced three agreements with defense contractors to boost production of missiles and other parts to replenish dwindling supplies used in the Mideast war.

The extensive use of interceptor missiles by the United States, Israel and the Gulf states to counter Iranian retaliatory attacks has raised questions about stockpile sizes.

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Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems agreed to a fourfold increase in production of a key component called "seeker heads" for THAAD, a high-altitude anti-missile system that has seen significant use in the Middle East.

The agreement puts the "industrial base on a wartime footing," the Department of Defense said in a press release.

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At the end of January, Lockheed Martin had already announced an acceleration of its THAAD production from around 100 to about 400 a year within a few years.

The Pentagon announced a second agreement with Lockheed Martin to "accelerate" production of Precision Strike Missiles, or PrSM, tactical ballistic missiles used for the first time against Iran. They succeed the previous Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS.

Lockheed Martin confirmed the order to quadruple output of the PrSM missiles, saying it builds on a previous $4.94 billion contract award from the US Army last year.

In a third deal, Honeywell Aerospace agreed to boost the production of "critical components for America's munitions stockpile," including navigation systems, a DoD press release said.