Senior U.S. defense officials have engaged in preliminary, broad discussions with senior executives from major American manufacturers, including General Motors and Ford, about the possibility of producing weapons and other military equipment, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the conversations.
The discussions, which began prior to the war in Iran, are part of a push by the Trump administration to involve automakers and other U.S. manufacturers more directly in defense production. Defense officials told the Journal that American manufacturers might be required to backstop traditional defense contractors and sought to determine whether those companies could quickly shift operations to defense work.
GE Aerospace and vehicle and machinery maker Oshkosh were among the other companies engaged in talks with defense officials, according to the Journal report.
The report could not be immediately verified by Reuters. The Pentagon, General Motors, Ford, GE Aerospace and Oshkosh did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment outside regular business hours.
A Pentagon official told the Journal that the Defense Department "is committed to rapidly expanding the defense industrial base by leveraging all available commercial solutions and technologies to ensure our warfighters maintain a decisive advantage".
The conversations follow a March meeting in which President Trump met with executives from seven defense contractors as Pentagon officials seek to replenish materiel used in U.S. strikes on Iran and other recent military operations. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and amid Israel's military operations in Gaza, the United States has drawn down billions of dollars' worth of weapons stockpiles, including artillery systems, ammunition and anti-tank missiles.
This month, the president requested an increase of $500 billion in the military budget, taking the total request to $1.5 trillion, a move presented in the context of U.S. operations related to the war against Iran.
Context and implications
The meetings described were characterized as early-stage and wide-ranging. Defense officials' questions focused on the speed and feasibility with which large commercial manufacturers could redirect production toward military needs if called upon to supplement traditional defense suppliers.
Reporting on the discussions noted both the heightened demand for munitions and military systems following recent conflicts and the administration's interest in broadening the industrial base available to the Defense Department.