President Donald Trump met with top defense industry executives at the White House on Friday to discuss expanding U.S. weapons production as the joint U.S.–Israeli military campaign against Iran entered its sixth day. The meeting included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and leaders from several major defense contractors.
Following the meeting, Trump said the discussions focused on accelerating manufacturing schedules and increasing output of advanced weapons systems. In a post on Truth Social, he said the companies had agreed to significantly expand production capacity, particularly for what he described as “exquisite” weapons systems.
According to Trump, manufacturers committed to quadrupling production as quickly as possible. While the president did not define the term, reports indicated it likely refers to sophisticated precision-guided missiles used against complex targets. Examples include the Standard Missile-6 and Tomahawk missile produced by RTX Corporation, as well as the Patriot interceptor known as the MSE developed by Lockheed Martin.
Executives from several major defense firms participated in the meeting, including BAE Systems, Boeing, Honeywell Aerospace, L3Harris Technologies, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and RTX Corporation. Trump said the group plans to reconvene in two months to review progress.
The administration noted that some production increases were already underway prior to the meeting. Earlier this year, the Pentagon reached agreements with Lockheed Martin and RTX Corporation to boost manufacturing of high-demand systems, including Patriot missile system interceptors and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense platform.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the meeting had been scheduled prior to the launch of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28. The operation, a joint U.S.–Israeli campaign targeting Iran’s political leadership and military infrastructure, is expected to last four to six weeks.
Leavitt said U.S. stockpiles remain sufficient for current operations but emphasized that increasing production capacity is intended to ensure long-term military readiness. Officials say the campaign aims to degrade Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs while weakening its regional proxy networks.
