The U.S. Can’t Make Weapons Fast Enough

French navy soldiers work on missiles aboard the French Charles-de-Gaulle aircraft carrier, on November 22, 2015 at the eastern Mediterranean sea.The French Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier is deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to boost operations in Syria as Paris intensifies a bombing campaign against the Islamic State group there. The latest move follows attacks in the French capital, claimed by the jihadist group, which left 129 people dead and hundreds more wounded. AFP PHOTO / ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT (Photo credit should read ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images)

Photograph by Anne-Christine Poujoulat— AFP/Getty Images

You know the world is at war when top weapons suppliers are struggling to meet demand.

The U.S. and its allies are straining to supply precision missiles and other arms being used in the fight against ISIS and in other conflicts in the Middle East, reports Reuters, citing senior U.S. officials and industry executives.

The agency’s sources say arms makers may need to expand plants or open new ones to keep weapon production flowing. “Everyone in the region is talking about building up supplies for five to ten years. This is going to be a long fight,” said one official to Reuters.

The ISIS-led attacks on Paris last month have added urgency to the need for weapons. As of Dec. 2, the U.S.’s retaliation campaign has resulted in 8,605 strikes at an estimated cost of around $5.2 billion.