Top defense industry executives and Trump administration officials are set to gather Tuesday at the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., amid mounting concern that the country’s weapons reserves have been depleted to risky levels following a series of strikes on Iran.
President Trump is expected to take part in a Wednesday roundtable during the two-day Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, an event hosted by Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.).
A new report from logistics firm Exiger, shared exclusively with The Post on Tuesday, highlights Pennsylvania’s extensive role in the US military supply chain, with companies across the Keystone State producing thousands of components used in ships, vehicles and weapons.
Defense organizations based in Pennsylvania provide 113,000 parts, support 190,000 jobs and have secured more than $263 billion in Department of War funding over the last 20 years — ranking seventh among all states.
The report identifies companies such as Philadelphia-based Rhoads Industries and Pittsburgh’s Howmet Aerospace as makers of a “substantial number of components that cannot be readily replaced,” noting that roughly 2,000 weapons systems depend on parts manufactured in Pennsylvania.
“Our report gives leaders convening at the US Army War College deep visibility into the Commonwealth’s supply chain and into the role it plays in the larger defense industrial base,” Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels said.
Exiger also points to vulnerabilities in the nation’s military production network, cautioning that the US remains “entirely or near-entirely dependent on foreign sources” for several critical materials and minerals.
“The gap between what America builds and what America mines is, in essence, a structural liability baked into the industrial base itself,” the Exiger report states.
The deep dive comes as key US weapon stockpiles remain significantly depleted and could face further drawdowns as Operation Epic Fury continues, with strikes being launched Monday night for a third consecutive day.
In fact, an April report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found the US may have expended more than half of its prewar inventory in the Middle East.
Some of the weapons systems most acutely affected include Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are used to strike targets deep inside enemy territory; as well as Patriot missiles and THAAD interceptors, which are used to defend against incoming missiles and drones.
According to CSIS, rebuilding America’s stockpiles will take one to four years, a period during which the US will remain vulnerable to enemy nations.
“The United States has enough munitions for any plausible scenario in the Iran war, but the depleted inventories have created a window of vulnerability for a potential Western Pacific conflict,” said the April report, referencing fears of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
The White House is urging Congress to approve a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget, while Trump and war Secretary Pete Hegseth have already pushed defense contractors to speed up production.
“The comprehensive report compiled by Exiger underscores the indispensable role Pennsylvania’s defense industrial base plays in our nation’s security. The data speaks for itself. Pennsylvania is home to one of the strongest and most diverse defense industrial bases in the country,” McCormick told The Post in a statement, adding that the summit “will showcase Pennsylvania’s profound role in ensuring America’s military remains the most formidable fighting force the world has ever seen.”
Other speakers at the summit include General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and JPMorganChase CEO Jamie Dimon.
Pennsylvania is also a critical battleground state in the November midterms, with Republicans needing to win several key House races in order to keep control of Congress.
