The Pentagon began conversations with large industrial companies in the United States, such as General Motors, Ford, GE Aerospace and Oshkosh, to expand the production of weapons and military equipment. The idea is to use part of the capacity currently focused on civilian products to meet defense demands, in a move to prepare for a “wartime posture”, according to the Wall Street Journal.
According to the newspaper, Defense Department officials met with executives such as Mary Barra (GM) and Jim Farley (Ford) to assess whether automakers can quickly redirect production lines for items such as ammunition, tactical vehicles and military systems. The conversations are still early, but they already address how these companies could complement traditional defense suppliers and what regulatory and contractual obstacles would need to be overcome.
The effort comes amid pressure on US ammunition stocks, after years of sending weapons to Ukraine and, more recently, in the face of additional needs generated by the war in Iran. At the same time, the Department of Defense presented a budget request of around US$1.5 trillion, with a focus on expanding the production capacity of ammunition, drones and other strategic equipment.
The use of civilian factories for military purposes dates back to World War II, when Detroit’s automotive industry suspended car production to manufacture bombers and trucks. Today, some of the companies already operate in the defense area: GM has a division that makes light military vehicles, for example.
