Pentagon Approaches Automakers, Manufacturers to Boost Weapons Production
April 16th, 2026Via: Reuters:
Senior U.S. defense officials ?have ?held talks about producing weapons ?and other military supplies with top executives of ?companies including General Motors and Ford Motor, the Wall Street Journal reported on ?Wednesday, citing people familiar with ?the discussions.
The preliminary and wide-ranging talks, which started before the war ?in ?Iran, come as 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 might be needed to backstop traditional ?defense contractors and asked whether the companies could rapidly shift to ?defense work.
GE ?Aerospace and vehicle and ?machinery ?maker Oshkosh were among the companies involved in the talks with defense ?officials, the Journal added.
