US may turn auto industry into weapons production amid shortages
US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
The US may expand weapons production through civilian industry. Pentagon is already holding talks with major automakers and industrial companies, The Wall Street Journal reports.
According to The Wall Street Journal, American defense officials are discussing with businesses the possibility of using manufacturing capacity for the production of ammunition and military equipment. This includes companies such as General Motors and Ford Motor.
The talks held with representatives of major automakers are preliminary in nature and cover a wide range of issues, from the possibility of quickly repurposing factories to barriers in contracts and tenders.
The United States authorities are assessing whether civilian manufacturers are capable of quickly switching to defense orders.
United States defense stockpiles have been depleted
The Wall Street Journal writes that the reason for repurposing automakers is the depletion of weapons stockpiles due to prolonged conflicts, including the war in Ukraine and the escalation in the Middle East. In the Pentagon, it is believed that traditional defense contractors may be insufficient for rapidly increasing production.
Industrial and aerospace companies are also involved in the discussions, including GE Electric Aerospace and Oshkosh Corporation.
The United States Department of Defense emphasizes that the goal of this plan is to quickly expand the defense industrial base and ensure an advantage for American military forces.
The initiative is already being compared to practices from the Second World War, when automobile companies massively switched to the production of military equipment.
It is expected that the new United States defense budget, which may reach one point five trillion dollars, will include significant investments in the production of ammunition and drones.
Rethinking defense in the United States and the European Union
The United States may reconsider its defense strategy — Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated that Washington may rethink its participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
This statement was later echoed and repeated by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. Hesitation by the United States to remain in the alliance is linked to the fact that allies refused to assist the administration of Donald Trump in an operation in the Middle East.
Europe, in turn, is also considering a plan for its own defense without United States participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization — in the European Union, there are discussions about creating its own defense bloc or changing the rules within the existing alliance.
