#munitions

Five companies have been selected in a Pentagon challenge aimed at finding scalable, affordable payloads for small drones under the Drone Dominance initiative.

US defense officials told lawmakers that two months of operations against Iran have cost about $25 billion so far, with most of the spending tied to munitions and more details expected in a supplemental request.

New budget documents show the U.S. Air Force is planning a large-scale buildup of its Family of Affordable Mass Missile, with nearly 27,000 munitions envisioned over coming years.

In his first public remarks as acting Secretary of the Navy, Hung Cao told industry that the service wants more suppliers, faster change and more flexible sourcing, especially for munitions.

A proposed 188 percent jump in missile procurement reflects the scale of U.S. munitions concerns, but analysts say industry cannot match that surge immediately and lawmakers may need to spread spending over multiple year

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said the conflict with Iran is consuming readiness and munitions in ways that inevitably reduce the resources available for other theaters, including the Indo-Pacific.

NATO says allies collectively need up to $145 billion in missiles, bombs, drones, and air defense capacity, underscoring how fast procurement has become the alliance’s central security problem.