Senior defense officials in the Trump administration approached General Motors and Ford about supporting the U.S. military equipment supply chain, a source told the Detroit Free Press. The anonymous source said the separate conversations with CEOs Mary Barra and Jim Farley took place as early as last year.
The Pentagon reportedly wants to use the automakers’ workforce and facility capacity to boost weapons production as wars in Ukraine and Iran have strained U.S. inventory. The Wall Street Journal first reported the discussions, noting that officials described the request as a “matter of national security.”
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The Journal also reported that German manufacturing is shifting toward defense production as the automotive sector combats a slump in demand and growing competition from China, with the government pushing to convert struggling operations into defense contractors.
According to the Detroit Free Press, GM and Ford would likely not directly produce weapons but instead make structural components for subcontracting to weapons manufacturers. Relevant capabilities could include casting, stamping, forging and working with plastics and other composites.
The conversations remain exploratory with no defined details.
Both companies have a history with the U.S. military. In 2017, GM reestablished its GM Defense subsidiary, which focuses on integrated vehicles, power and propulsion and mobility and autonomy. The division secured its first contract in 2020—a $214.3 million deal to build the Infantry Squad Vehicle for the U.S. Army, a nine-passenger troop transporter based on the Chevy Colorado ZR2.
Both automakers supported the military during World War II when the Detroit Three helped manufacture war materials as part of the “Arsenal of Democracy.” Their output included machine guns, bombers and military transport vehicles.
When asked to comment, a Ford spokesperson said the company had nothing to share. GM did not respond to a request for comment.
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