Pentagon urges Congress to fund $1.5 trillion weapons procurement for warfighter needs

In a September 11 interview, Michael Duffey, the Pentagon’s undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, warned that Congress must “step up and deliver” the $1.5 trillion funding request outlined by the Trump administration to rebuild depleted stocks of air-defence interceptors and deep-strike weapons employed heavily in the Iran war. Duffey said the Pentagon already has contracts and acquisition reforms in place, but without the full budget the warfighter cannot be supplied.

He refused to speculate on the risk of a partisan reconciliation-style budget move blocking the money, and said the department will engage with legislators over the next months to secure the financing. The seven-year production contracts signed with defense firms have encouraged companies to invest their own capital, accelerating production rates for munitions such as Patriot, Tomahawk, THAAD interceptors and Standard Missiles.

The administration has also announced framework agreements with prime contractors and component suppliers to dramatically expand output and build capacity for next-generation weapons. Duffey stressed that these investments will enable faster replenishment of expended munitions and sustain the United States’ competitive edge worldwide.