Washington — The Pentagon wants Michigan automakers to play a bigger role in U.S. defense manufacturing, according to two sources familiar with discussions.
Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley and General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra have been involved in discussions with top Defense Department officials about the automakers getting more involved in the production of weapons or other military equipment, the Wall Street Journal initially reported.
“For more than 100 years, GM has supported America’s security, safety, and those who protect our nation,” according to a statement from the company. “While that commitment continues, we do not comment on speculation.”
GM spokespeople declined to comment further. Ford declined to comment.
Even before the United States and Israel began their war with Iran in February, policymakers have been concerned about a dwindling weapons stockpile and defense production capacity that has not kept pace with recent demands. White House spokesperson Olivia Wales, however, downplayed inventory concerns in a statement Thursday.
“The United States military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles to achieve all of our strategic goals — and will continue to be equipped with the very best made-in-America weapons, wherever they reside,” Wales said. “The President is committed to expanding our defense industrial base with the best of American innovation and commercial solutions.”
Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine has strained American resources as Congress, with support from the Biden and Trump administrations, has passed military aid packages to assist Ukraine. The Iran war is straining resources further, though President Donald Trump has insisted the conflict could end soon.
Some in Washington, like the nonpartisan Center for Strategic and International Studies, have suggested reviving the so-called “Arsenal of Democracy” — a term used by former President Franklin D. Roosevelt and many since to refer to private industrial players aiding the U.S. military effort during World War II.
GM and Ford, in conjunction with medical supply companies, also shifted some of their manufacturing capacity to produce ventilators and other personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is unclear, however, if the automakers are equipped to meet the technical sophistication of modern arms production. Some commonly used weapons, like Tomahawk cruise missiles, cost more than $2 million each, per CSIS.
There also is the matter of capacity. Automotive production shut down during World War II to make room for the military effort. But technologies of planes, tanks and other military equipment have changed significantly since then.
“They used piston engines,” Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions LLC, said of the bombers that rolled off the line in places like Willow Run near Ypsilanti and Belleville. “Now they use jet engines. Ford doesn’t have that technology.”
Passenger vehicle production volumes in 2026 are forecasted to be down because of affordability challenges and the end of the federal electric vehicle tax credit. AutoForecast Solutions projected Ford’s U.S. capacity use to be at 73% after additionally being hurt by an aluminum shortage from a supplier. The forecast for GM is 79.5%. A healthy utilization is usually about 80%, but in down years, those rates aren’t bad, Fiorani said.
“There is not capacity for non-civilian, military vehicles,” he said. “You’re not going to make F-150s next to planes and tanks.”
gschwab@detroitnews.com
sballentine@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Report: Defense officials ask GM, Ford for military manufacturing bump
Reporting by Grant Schwab and Summer Ballentine, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
