Pentagon Strikes Framework Deal with Boeing, Lockheed Martin

(MENAFN) The Pentagon announced Wednesday it has struck a framework agreement with aerospace giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin to triple production capacity for critical missile components — a move casting a sharp new light on Washington's accelerating push to bolster its defense industrial base.

The seven-year deal centres on dramatically scaling up output of seekers used in the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) — a cornerstone interceptor within the United States' layered missile defense architecture.

Pentagon officials framed the announcement as a direct expression of the defense expansion agenda championed by President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, both of whom have repeatedly called for the construction of an "Arsenal of Freedom" — a reimagined, high-throughput defense production network engineered to meet the demands of modern and emerging threats.

Michael Duffey, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said the agreement signals a fundamental departure from conventional procurement models.

"To build a true Arsenal of Freedom, we must strengthen every link in the chain," Duffey said in an official statement.

"We are moving beyond the old model and forging direct partnerships with critical suppliers to ensure the entire defense industrial base is postured to expand production and deliver the decisive capabilities our warfighters need at speed and scale," he added.

The deal represents one of the most concrete steps yet toward restructuring America's defense supply chain, as Washington faces mounting pressure to replenish and expand weapons stockpiles amid intensifying global security challenges.

MENAFN02042026000045017169ID1110934344