AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTConcerned about the slow pace and high cost of weapons production, Pentagon officials have begun talks with General Motors and Ford Motor about producing certain parts.The Pentagon has met with Ford Motor and General Motors to gauge whether the auto industry may be able to help the military acquire vehicles, munitions and other hardware.Credit...Kenny Holston/The New York TimesApril 16, 2026The Pentagon has met with senior executives of Ford Motor and General Motors to gauge whether the auto industry could help the military acquire vehicles, munitions or other hardware more quickly and at lower costs, according to three people familiar with the talks.The conversations are in the very early stages, and relate to the possible production of components by the companies, not entire weapons systems. No specific projects are currently being negotiated, the people said.The discussions with automakers underscore Trump administration efforts to revamp military procurement as the war in Iran and U.S. support for Ukraine in its war with Russia deplete supplies. The idea is reminiscent of World War II, when G.M., Ford and other automakers supplied the military.“The Department of War is committed to rapidly expanding the defense industrial base by leveraging all available commercial solutions and technologies to ensure our war fighters maintain a decisive advantage,” a Pentagon official said in a statement in response to questions about the meetings with automakers. “The department is aggressively pursuing and integrating the best of American innovation, wherever it resides, to deliver production at scale and drive resiliency across supply chains.”The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on the talks between the Pentagon and the automakers.The Trump administration has complained for months that traditional defense contractors take too long to manufacture weapons systems and charge too much for them. In January, President Trump signed an executive order that aimed to punish defense contractors that failed to expand their manufacturing capacity. And in November, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, rolled out a strategy for military procurement that included buying more widely available off-the-shelf components to avoid the high costs and delays associated with the specialized systems that the military typically uses.The defense industrial base “is stagnant, building the world’s best and most exquisite weapon systems at low volume while relying on obsolescent parts, outdated manufacturing processes and stale innovation,” the strategy read. “In contrast, the commercial industry outpaces the D.I.B. in advancing cutting-edge technology.”Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.Farah Stockman is a Times business reporter writing about manufacturing and the government policies that influence companies that make things in the United States.Neal E. Boudette, a Michigan-based reporter for The Times, has been covering the