April 15 (Reuters) – Senior U.S. defense officials have held talks with executives from companies including General Motors and Ford Motor Co. about producing weapons and other military supplies, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The Wall Street Journal stated that the preliminary and extensive talks began before the Iran war, and the Trump administration hopes that automakers and other American manufacturers will play a greater role in weapons production.
Defense officials told the newspaper that U.S. manufacturers may be needed to support traditional defense contractors and asked whether the companies could quickly pivot to defense work.
The Wall Street Journal added that GE Aerospace and vehicle and machinery maker Oshkosh were among the companies involved in talks with defense officials.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. 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 Wall Street Journal that the Department of Defense 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.”
Trump met with executives from seven defense contractors in March as the Pentagon worked to replenish supplies used in the U.S. strike against Iran and other recent military operations.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, the United States has depleted billions of dollars’ worth of weapons stockpiles, including artillery systems, ammunition and anti-tank missiles.
Trump this month called for a massive $500 billion increase in the military budget, to $1.5 trillion, as the United States launches a war against Iran.
(Reporting by Fabiola Arámburo in Mexico City; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Jamie Freed)