Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg leads sweeping procurement overhaul after Iran conflict drains U.S. stockpiles
U.S. media reports, citing multiple sources, indicate that Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg is spearheading a major reorganization of defense procurement, aimed at accelerating the replenishment of missile arsenals through “Wall Street-style” crisis management techniques.
Feinberg is quoted as saying that the Pentagon suffers from a critical shortage of competent manufacturing managers. While procurement teams and administrative staff are excellent, he explained, “they are not specialists in manufacturing operations.”
To address the weapons shortage, Feinberg established a dedicated management system and actively engaged the private sector. The Department allocated $300 million to the consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal which specializes in restructuring distressed assets and hired approximately 300 retired senior executives, including some from the automotive industry, at rates of up to $170 per hour to audit contractors’ manufacturing facilities.
Additionally, Palantir was awarded a contract worth up to $244 million to implement the “War Machine” analytics platform, designed to optimize defense production.
Depletion of U.S. Arsenals Amid War on Iran Prompts Urgent Presidential Reform Orders
Reports indicate that the push to accelerate these reforms stemmed from a direct order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. This directive followed reports that strikes against Iran had been suspended due to the rapid depletion of U.S. stockpiles of precision-guided munitions.
The massive expenditures are linked to the war on Iran, which consumed $22 billion worth of munitions, according to the Pentagon’s Inspector General.
The New York Times reported that during this campaign, the United States expended a decade’s worth of Tomahawk missiles, exhausted its stockpile of stealth missiles, and used up two years’ worth of ammunition for Patriot air defense systems.
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar)