Senior Pentagon officials have engaged in discussions with executives from major American companies, including General Motors and Ford Motor, about boosting weapons and military supply production, according to a report published Wednesday.

The conversations, described as broad and preliminary, began even before the conflict with Iran escalated. The effort reflects a push by the Trump administration to involve automakers and other U.S. manufacturers more directly in defense production, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing individuals familiar with the matter.

During the talks, defense officials indicated that traditional military contractors may require support and explored whether large manufacturers could quickly pivot their operations to produce defense-related equipment.

Companies such as GE Aerospace and Oshkosh, which manufactures vehicles and heavy machinery, were also part of the discussions with Pentagon officials, the report said.

Reuters said it was unable to independently confirm the details. Representatives for the Pentagon, General Motors, Ford, GE Aerospace, and Oshkosh did not immediately respond to requests for comment made outside normal business hours.

A Pentagon official told the Journal 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 outreach to private industry follows a March meeting in which President Trump sat down with executives from seven major defense contractors, as the Pentagon works to replenish stockpiles depleted by recent U.S. military actions, including strikes on Iran.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Israel’s operations in Gaza, U.S. reserves of key military equipment—such as artillery systems, munitions, and anti-tank weapons—have been significantly reduced.

Earlier this month, Trump proposed a major increase in defense spending, requesting an additional $500 billion to bring the total military budget to $1.5 trillion, citing the ongoing war with Iran.

{Matzav.com}