WAR DRAINS MISSILES: $4.7BN RUSH ORDER AS DEFENCES STRETCH TO BREAKING POINT
The Pentagon has handed Lockheed Martin a staggering $4.7 billion deal to churn out more Patriot missile system interceptors, after recent fighting exposed a worrying shortfall.
In just five weeks of strikes linked to Iran tensions, U.S. stockpiles were heavily depleted, leaving air defence networks strained and allies increasingly vulnerable to incoming attacks. Officials were forced into a defensive scramble as coverage gaps widened.
Markets reacted swiftly: Lockheed’s shares surged, buoyed by instability around the Strait of Hormuz, where conflict risk is now translating directly into booming defence profits.