The Pentagon has ordered U.S. defense manufacturers to come up with plans within three weeks to dramatically increase weapons production, as the ongoing conflict with Iran takes a heavy toll on American missile and ammunition reserves.

An internal Department of Defense memorandum obtained by The Washington Post directs weapons companies to rapidly boost manufacturing capacity and shorten delivery timelines for critical munitions being consumed in the war with Iran.

Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg sent the directive to defense industry executives on Wednesday, giving contractors no more than 21 days to submit detailed proposals for creating “significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities.”

The Pentagon made clear in the memo that the lengthy procurement and manufacturing schedules traditionally associated with major weapons programs are considered inadequate while the United States is engaged in active military operations.

“Years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” Feinberg stated, emphasizing, “We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now.”

The order comes amid increasing concern inside the administration and the Pentagon over the pace at which U.S. ammunition reserves are being consumed. It also points to tensions between President Donald Trump and Defense Department officials over the condition of the nation’s weapons stockpiles. Defense industry specialists say replenishing those reserves on the scale envisioned by the Pentagon could ultimately hinge on whether a politically divided Congress approves additional emergency military funding.

President Trump, however, pushed back Thursday against suggestions that the United States is dangerously short of weaponry. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the country possesses “massive amounts” of munitions and maintained that “large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the US as needed.”

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is attempting to address more immediate shortages through nonbinding legal arrangements known as “framework agreements.” Those agreements involve both major defense contractors and newer technology companies and are intended to accelerate production of inexpensive strike weapons as well as sophisticated air-defense systems, including Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell acknowledged that the memorandum obtained by The Washington Post was authentic and said the Defense Department’s effort to push manufacturers toward faster production has been an administration priority.

“Working directly with industry leaders to accelerate production is not new. It has been the clear intent of the President and this Secretary from the start.”

Parnell further confirmed that the document “is real” and said it “will inform the fiscal year 2028 budget submitted to Congress for funding, and it is entirely consistent with our ongoing push to rebuild the defense industrial base.”