It’s High Time to Restock U.S. Munitions

The Pentagon proposes to quadruple production of Thaad interceptors.Is the U.S. running short on ammunition only days into the Iran war? The public has learned that U.S. arsenals aren’t primed for a protracted military campaign, a situation defense analysts have been warning about for years. Now President Trump’s critics are seizing on this munitions deficit to constrain him from finishing the job in Iran.The world’s most dynamic economy can, however, expand its weapons stores and missile defenses. And Tehran’s severely compromised air defense is a prime reason to strike now.If this war spurs a U.S. rearmament, that itself would be a win for the national interest. The administration may ask Congress in the coming weeks for tens of billions of dollars to build more weapons, which is long overdue, given the threats the U.S. faces, and would be money well spent. Mr. Trump, who summoned weapons makers to the White House on Friday, will have to show sustained interest in the problem and overcome opposition in his own coalition.First, some distinctions. America is short on premier long-range missiles. War games for Taiwan show the U.S. running low on Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missiles and Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles within weeks or days of fighting—a red alert for U.S. security.But the U.S. military is so dominating the sky in Iran that it can rely on cheaper weapons available in greater numbers. “We used more exquisite standoff munitions at the start, but no longer need to,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday.