U.S. Government in Talks With Auto Giants Ford and GM to Build Tomahawk and Patriot Missiles.

The United States is preparing to expand its defense industrial base by bringing major automotive manufacturers into missile production, with U.S. President Donald Trump announcing that Ford Motor Company and General Motors are in discussions with leading U.S. defense contractors to manufacture Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and Patriot air defense interceptors. As reported by CBS News, the initiative is intended to replenish critical missile inventories following recent military operations against Iran and to increase the nation's capacity to meet future military requirements.

The proposed partnership would leverage the automotive sector's large-scale manufacturing expertise to accelerate the production of key precision-strike and air-defense munitions. The move reflects a broader effort to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and improve surge production capacity amid growing demand for advanced missiles in an increasingly contested global security environment.

Related Topic: U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer USS Michael Murphy Launches Tomahawk Missiles in Self-Defense Strikes on Iran

A U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer launches a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile during Operation Epic Fury, highlighting the weapon system at the center of U.S. efforts to replenish missile stockpiles. (Picture source: U.S. Navy)

U.S. President Donald Trump announced this while speaking to reporters at the White House, stating that American automakers with available production capacity are negotiating agreements to support missile manufacturing. According to the President, the effort reflects an urgent national priority after the U.S. military expended more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles and thousands of Patriot interceptors during the conflict with Iran. While no contracts have yet been publicly disclosed by Ford, General Motors, or the Department of Defense, the statement suggests the administration is pursuing an accelerated industrial response to restore strategic missile stockpiles.

The proposal represents one of the clearest indications that the Trump administration is considering expanding the U.S. defense industrial base beyond its traditional network of prime contractors. Although companies such as RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies) manufacture Patriot missiles and Lockheed Martin produces the Tomahawk cruise missile following its acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne and the transfer of the program from Raytheon, large-scale missile production depends on an extensive supply chain involving propulsion systems, guidance electronics, precision machining, structural fabrication, energetics, and final system integration. Automotive manufacturers could potentially contribute significant manufacturing expertise in areas such as high-volume metal fabrication, automated assembly, advanced robotics, quality assurance, and logistics, even if the most sensitive missile components remain under the responsibility of established defense contractors.

The initiative echoes previous periods in U.S. history when civilian industry was rapidly converted to military production during major conflicts. During the Second World War, Ford's Willow Run plant became one of the world's largest aircraft manufacturing facilities, producing thousands of B-24 Liberator bombers, while General Motors manufactured tanks, aircraft engines, trucks, ammunition, and other military equipment. Although modern precision-guided missiles are far more technologically sophisticated than wartime equipment of the 1940s, historical precedent demonstrates the American industrial sector's ability to rapidly expand defense production when national security demands require it.

The Tomahawk remains one of the U.S. military's most important long-range precision strike weapons. With a range of up to 1,600 km, depending on the variant, the missile enables the U.S. Navy to engage high-value land targets from surface combatants and submarines while remaining outside many enemy air defense envelopes. The latest Block V variants incorporate improved navigation, communications, and targeting capabilities, allowing strikes against both fixed infrastructure and selected moving maritime targets. The missile has become a cornerstone of U.S. conventional deterrence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East, where rapid, long-range precision-strike capability is essential for suppressing enemy command centers, integrated air defense systems, and strategic infrastructure.

Equally critical are Patriot interceptors, which have become one of the most heavily utilized components of U.S. and allied integrated air and missile defense architectures. The Patriot system has demonstrated its effectiveness against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and increasingly against complex drone threats. Demand for Patriot interceptors has expanded dramatically in recent years as allies across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia strengthen their air defense capabilities in response to evolving regional security challenges. The system has also become central to protecting deployed U.S. forces and critical infrastructure against increasingly sophisticated missile attacks.

Replenishing these missile inventories presents a significant industrial challenge. Production of advanced guided weapons involves highly specialized manufacturing processes, long supplier lead times, and components sourced from numerous subcontractors. Expanding output requires not only additional assembly capacity but also increased availability of rocket motors, microelectronics, seekers, propulsion systems, explosives, composite materials, and specialized machine tools. The Pentagon has repeatedly warned that rebuilding precision-guided munition inventories following sustained combat operations could require substantial investment and multiple years of production expansion.

The administration's reported discussions with Ford and General Motors therefore appear aimed at increasing manufacturing capacity rather than replacing traditional defense contractors. Automotive production facilities already possess sophisticated automation, precision manufacturing equipment, highly trained workforces, and advanced supply chain management systems that could potentially be adapted for selected defense manufacturing activities. Similar approaches have already been explored within the broader U.S. defense industrial strategy, where commercial manufacturing expertise is increasingly viewed as a means to improve resilience and accelerate production during periods of elevated operational demand.

The announcement also reflects broader Pentagon concerns about the U.S. defense industrial base's ability to sustain prolonged, high-intensity conflict. Recent military operations, combined with continued support for allies and growing global demand for precision-guided weapons, have highlighted the importance of maintaining robust production capacity to rapidly replace expended munitions. Congressional leaders and defense officials have repeatedly emphasized that future conflicts against peer or near-peer adversaries would likely require missile production rates significantly higher than current peacetime output.

If agreements with Ford and General Motors ultimately materialize, they could represent one of the most significant examples of civilian industrial integration into U.S. defense manufacturing in decades. Beyond restoring missile inventories, such partnerships would strengthen industrial resilience, diversify production capacity, and provide the U.S. Department of War/Defense with greater flexibility to respond to future crises. As the United States continues to adapt its defense industrial strategy to meet the demands of sustained great-power competition, leveraging America's automotive manufacturing sector could be an important way to ensure that critical precision weapons remain available in sufficient quantities to support both U.S. military operations and allied security commitments.

For Army Recognition Defense Analyst, the development extends beyond a simple production announcement. It illustrates a broader strategic shift toward treating industrial capacity as a core component of national defense. In an era where missile consumption during high-intensity operations can exceed peacetime production by several orders of magnitude, the ability to rapidly mobilize commercial manufacturing resources may become as decisive as the performance of the weapons themselves, reinforcing the United States' capacity to sustain long-duration military operations while preserving credible deterrence against future adversaries.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years of experience in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis of military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.