US arms manufacturers are expanding operations as conflicts in the Middle East fuel heavy demand for weaponry, according to Reuters.
The US-led coalition’s fight against Daesh is prompting the US and its allies to increase weapon supplies. As of December 2, the US-led coalition had conducted 8,605 airstrikes on Iraq and Syria. The approximate cost of the campaign is over $5 billion.
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf states are also increasing arms orders intended for the Saudi-led campaign against the Houthi militants in Yemen. Gulf countries also provide arms to rebels in Syria.
As demand continues to increase, the manufacturers are working to expand operational capacity.
Major manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin Corporation have hired more workers and added shifts to meet demand, but report that their facilities are reaching full capacity. Lockheed has plans to expand its plant in Troy, Alabama, and to hire 240 additional workers by 2020.
According to the Pentagon's chief arms buyer Frank Kendall, Lockheed’s Hellfire missiles are in high demand. The versatile Hellfire missiles are relatively inexpensive, costing $60,000-$100,000 per unit.
"There are essentially waiting lists for Hellfire. They can't make them fast enough," a State Department official told Reuters.
Industry experts emphasized increased demand for precision missiles. Kendall noted that Boeing’s Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) are highly requested. The JDAM converts unguided bombs into precision-guided bombs.
Boeing reported increasing its production of JDAMs by over 80 percent in the month of July to keep up with orders from 26 countries.
"Everyone in the region is talking about building up supplies for five to ten years. This is going to be a long fight," an anonymous senior employee at a US arms manufacturer told Reuters of the international campaign against Daesh.
