Major players in the defense industry, as well as Trump administration officials, will convene at the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., beginning Tuesday, as fears grow that the county’s stockpile of weapons is dangerously low after a series of attacks on Iran.
President Trump himself will join a roundtable Wednesday as part of the two-day Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, hosted by Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.).
Keystone State companies produce thousands of parts along the US military’s supply chain, playing vital roles in producing ships, vehicles and weapons, according to a new report produced by logistics firm Exiger and shared exclusively with The Post Tuesday.
Pennsylvania-based defense organizations supply 113,000 parts, employ 190,000 people, and have received more than $263 billion in Department of War funding over the past two decades, the seventh-most among the 50 states.
Firms like Philadelphia-based Rhoads Industries and Howmet Aerospace in Pittsburgh produce a “substantial number of components that cannot be readily replaced,” the report found, adding that some 2,000 weapon systems rely 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,” said Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels.
The company also raises some red flags about the state of military production, warning the US is “entirely or near-entirely dependent on foreign sources” for key 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 notes.
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.
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