The U.S. military is racing to rebuild its munition stockpiles, a critical effort underscored by the demands of current conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Years of insufficient defense budgets have diminished the defense industry's capacity, leaving American arsenals with quantities deemed insufficient for growing global threats. The Pentagon is now shifting focus to rapidly procure large volumes of less expensive munitions, a strategy that hinges on timely and sufficient appropriations from Congress.
Recent data highlights the strain on existing supplies. In February, U.S. forces reportedly fired over 1,000 ship- and submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles during the conflict with Iran. For perspective, Pentagon documents indicate that only 38 of these missiles were purchased in Fiscal Year 2025. Similarly, over 1,100 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range cruise missiles were expended, with approximately 1,500 remaining in stock by the end of April. These figures are particularly concerning given the increasing cooperation among authoritarian adversaries, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, a trend noted by military leaders.
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, has repeatedly warned Congress about the unprecedented levels of cooperation among these nations. The current munition levels raise questions about readiness for a prolonged conflict, especially when compared to the demands of a war lasting only a few months against Iran.
In response, the Pentagon is implementing a new procurement approach designed to accelerate production and delivery of high volumes of low-cost munitions. This strategy involves focusing on industry-driven solutions, engaging multiple vendors, fostering competition, utilizing multiyear procurements to ensure sustained demand and private investment, and adopting flexible contracting with incentives for companies that can quickly deliver large quantities of affordable and effective munitions.
This month, the Department of Defense announced framework agreements with Anduril, CoAspire, and Zone 5 to rapidly produce a new family of low-cost, air-launched cruise missiles. These missiles are designed for long-range, precision strikes and employ low-altitude flight paths to evade detection. The five-year plan aims for the production of 28,000 missiles, with manufacturing ramping up from 1,000 missiles in the upcoming year to over five times that amount by 2028. Some of these new missiles are expected to cost less than 10% or 20% of a Tomahawk missile.
Additionally, a framework agreement was signed with Castelion to manufacture its Blackbeard hypersonic strike missile, with a minimum annual production target of 500 units. The military is seeking funding for more than 12,000 of these missiles over five years, with an estimated cost of less than $300,000 each at full-scale production. The design philosophy for these missiles mirrors that of SpaceX, emphasizing mass production and continuous iteration from the outset—a cultural shift toward producing national security hardware at commercial speed, a concept the defense acquisition system has historically resisted.
These initiatives reflect a critical recognition that the balance between high-cost, sophisticated munitions and affordable, mass-producible options has become dangerously skewed. The current conflicts underscore the necessity of a substantial inventory of affordable, mass-producible munitions to sustain high-intensity warfare, beyond relying solely on expensive, long-range precision weapons. Congress has taken legislative steps, authorizing multiyear procurement for programs like the Family of Affordable Mass Missiles and low-cost hypersonic strike systems. However, the success of these efforts depends on Congress appropriating the necessary funding promptly. While congressional scrutiny of military plans is appropriate, delaying or reducing defense appropriations for munitions could negatively impact service members and overall readiness. Achieving the correct ratio of sophisticated, expensive munitions to larger quantities of affordable ones is identified as a vital policy challenge that could significantly influence outcomes in future conflicts.