U.S. Beefing up Hellfire Missile Stockpile

The United States Army awarded defense contractor Lockheed Martin a multiple-year deal to ramp up the production of Hellfire missiles, the company announced Monday.

The contract will provide Lockheed Martin with $439 million this year to produce more Hellfire missiles, alongside Joint-Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM), and could be extended in the coming years, with a potential value of up to $4.5 billion, Lockheed Martin announced in a press release.

The announcement comes amid rising tensions between the United States and several adversaries. Relations with Russia remain tense amid the Ukraine invasion, as the U.S. has provided weaponry to Kyiv's military. Meanwhile, the U.S. and China have clashed over Taiwan's right to self-governance, the COVID-19 pandemic as well as concerns about the social media application TikTok.

Joey Drake, program management director of Air-to-Ground Missile Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said in the company statement that these weapons will give the U.S. a "competitive edge" against global adversaries amid rising tensions.

"Both JAGM and HELLFIRE's advanced defensive capabilities provide users with a critical solution that allows them to stay ahead of ready with a competitive edge against potential adversaries. This contract allows us to keep providing those solutions to our customers for years to come," Drake said.

Lockheed Martin said the contract is the "first joint production contract award from the U.S. government for JAGM and HELLFIRE" and "provides maximum flexibility to facilitate the procurement of both systems to multiple domestic and international customers."

A "significant increase" is anticipated for the JAGM program, according to the statement.

The deal comes as the Pentagon is seeking to expand its arsenal with the aim of deterring future military action by China, Reuters reported. Concerns about war with Beijing have grown in recent months, with some analysts warning the U.S. needs to grow its stocks to be better situated to prevent war.

Senator Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, told Newsweek in February that the U.S. is "way behind where we should be."

Hellfire missiles have been used by Ukrainian forces to fight off the ongoing Russian invasion. Norway, a key ally, sent the American-made missiles to Ukraine last September. Norwegian Minister of Defense Bjørn Arild Gram said at the time that Ukrainian authorities had requested the missile, adding the weapon is "easy to operate and can be used against both land and sea targets."

Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense for comment via email.