The US signs an agreement with two companies to boost the production of missile interceptor components

The United States Government, led by President Donald Trump, announced this Monday an agreement with the aerospace companies Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to increase the production of components for the US low, medium and high altitude missile interceptor systems.

“These historic agreements are essential to ensure that key suppliers receive clear signals about long-term demand, which will allow a tripling and quadrupling of Patriot PAC-3 and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) production, respectively,” the Department said in a statement.

The Department’s Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Michael P. Duffey, has stated that leveraging the so-called ‘Freedom Arsenal’ – which seeks to increase Washington’s military response capacity – “requires robust and dynamic supply chains at all levels of the industrial base.”

The Trump Administration, which has not detailed the value of the deal, has pressured contractors to accelerate production amid conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, which are testing US weapons reserves.