The U.S. military is facing a shortage of critical munitions after months of war with Iran. Years of slow production and insufficient procurement have weakened America’s ability to project power and sustain its commitments abroad. The Trump administration has rightly increased pressure on defense contractors to accelerate production and on Congress to fund larger inventories. Its military objectives and economic agenda are now converging. The combination of war with Iran and targeted tariffs could usher in a new era of American defense readiness, one that brings critical production home while dramatically expanding manufacturing capacity.

The Iran war exposed a fundamental weakness: America’s defense industrial base cannot quickly replenish what it fires. Rebuilding key missile reserves will take years. In August, Deputy War Secretary Steve Feinberg gave contractors 21 days to submit plans to accelerate production. On Aug. 31, the Pentagon announced seven-year framework agreements intended to triple PAC-3 MSE production capacity and quadruple THAAD production capacity. That urgency now extends to the specialized components and upstream suppliers required to produce those weapons.