Pentagon approaches automakers, manufacturers to boost weapons production, WSJ reports
April 15 (Reuters) – Top U.S. defense officials have held talks with top executives from companies such as General Motors and Ford Motor about producing weapons and other military equipment, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
The preliminary, wide-ranging talks, which began before the war in Iran, come at a time when the Trump administration wants automakers and other American manufacturers to play a larger role in weapons production, the Journal said.
Defense officials told the newspaper that “American manufacturers may need to subsidize traditional defense contractors” and asked whether the companies could quickly shift to defense work.
GE Aerospace and vehicle and machinery maker Oshkosh are among the companies participating in talks with defense officials, the Journal added.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. Pentagon, General Motors, Ford, GE Aerospace and Oshkosh did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment outside normal business hours.
A Pentagon official told the Journal that the Department of Defense is “committed to rapidly expanding the defense industrial base by leveraging all available commercial solutions and technologies to ensure our warfighters have a decisive advantage.”
Trump met with executives from seven defense contractors in March as the Pentagon sought to replenish supplies used in U.S. strikes against Iran and other recent military operations.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Israel’s military operations in Gaza, the United States has withdrawn weapons stockpiles worth billions of dollars, including artillery systems, ammunition and anti-tank missiles.
This month, Trump demanded a massive $500 billion increase in the military budget to $1.5 trillion, amid the U.S. war against Iran.
(Reporting by Fabiola Arámburo in Mexico City; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Jamie Freed)
