The US Department of Defense is exploring a World War II-style expansion of weapons manufacturing, holding early talks with automobile developers, including General Motors and Ford, to repurpose factory capacity for military production.

Officials asked executives whether companies could quickly pivot production toward munitions, missiles, and counter-drone systems to replenish armed forces stockpiles and supplement traditional defense contractors, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The discussions also cover potential solutions to contracting safeguards, including contracting rules and associated processes.

Commenting on the move, a Pentagon official emphasized that the department remains “committed to rapidly expanding the defense industrial base by leveraging all available commercial solutions and technologies.”

Drawing on Historic Model

The outreach, launched before the Iran conflict, reflects Washington’s broader push to place American industry on a “wartime footing” as overseas cooperation and recent deployments deplete US military inventories.

Analysts noted that the approach echoes the “Arsenal of Democracy,” when US automakers halted civilian vehicle production to focus on military output during the Second World War.

General Motors produced tanks, aircraft engines, and weapons systems, while Ford built bombers, trucks, and other ground military platforms.

The talks remain preliminary, but signal renewed interest in tapping commercial manufacturing at scale.

Other industrial firms such as GE Aerospace and Oshkosh Corporation have also participated in the strategy, with discussions focused on aligning existing capabilities with defense needs.

“We’ve been out looking at capabilities that we think fit their needs, just proactively,” Oshkosh Chief Growth Officer Logan Jones said.

“We’ve heard it loud and clear that this is important.”