US President Donald Trump has decided to address restrictions on arms supplies, ammunition development and supply chains through the Defense Production Act. That’s according to a memo released Tuesday amid growing concern in Washington that whether US arms manufacturers can meet the demand, informs TASR based on a Reuters report.
Solid propellant rocket motors and guidance systems are among the most critical and capacity-constrained subsystems required in weapons production, whether for existing systems or for future modernization programs.
“I hereby find that conditions exist that may pose a direct threat to the national defense or its preparedness programs,” Trump said in a June 11 memo to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. The head of the White House referred to “limited production capacity, fragile supply chains, dependence on long lead times and related production bottlenecks”.
The memorandum gives the Secretary of Defense the authority to enter into voluntary agreements with the private sector aimed at strengthening the defense industry. The Defense Production Act allows the President or those authorized to negotiate with representatives of industry, business, and other interest groups to enter into voluntary agreements in support of national defense. However, this is only possible if there are circumstances that could pose a direct threat.
