US switches missile production line to ‘wartime mode’

On March 25, the US Department of Defense announced agreements with defense corporations Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems and Honeywell Aerospace, aiming to speed up the production of a series of missile components, including weapons used to counter ballistic missiles.

“The agreements will place the defense industry in wartime mode,” the Pentagon said.

According to the agreement, Honeywell Aerospace will increase the production of components such as guidance systems, electronic warfare equipment and flight direction regulators for AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.

Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems also agreed to quadruple the output of detectors for missiles of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD), one of the key air defense complexes in the effort to intercept Iran’s ballistic missiles. Each THAAD shell costs nearly 13 million USD.

In January, Lockheed Martin announced plans to increase production of THAAD missiles from nearly 100 to about 400 per year. The company also plans to increase annual production of PAC-3 missiles used for the Patriot complex from 600 to 2,000 over the next 7 years.

The agreements were signed while the US military and its allies still depend on expensive interceptor missiles to take down cheap targets, especially the suicide drones (UAVs) that Iran uses in the current conflict.

According to estimates, Iran can build up to 10,000 Shahed series UAVs per month. The average price of a Shahed is 35,000 USD, while PAC-3 bullets cost 3-4 million USD each depending on the contract.

The Pentagon also signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin to accelerate the production of PrSM ballistic missiles launched from HIMARS rocket artillery, replacing ATACMS missiles. Lockheed Martin announced it will increase PrSM production four times under a nearly $5 billion contract awarded by the US Army last year.

PrSM has a range of 500 km, carries a 91 kg warhead, costs about 3.5 million USD each, and has an anti-ship variant with the ability to attack moving targets at sea. The Middle East conflict was also the first time this type of missile was used in actual combat.