In recent hoursThe Wall Street Journal, Reuters and the New York Times reported a summons by the Pentagon of the major American automakers to understand if, given that the Middle Eastern war efforts could intensify and the conflict is far from over, their assembly lines could produce military components.
FORD AND GENERAL MOTORS VETERANS BUT NEVER ENLISTED AGAIN
The news will likely resonate more at home than in Europe, since in the Old Continent the inability to trust the U.S. as before has already led individual governments to forge similar agreements: for example in Germany, where Volkswagen, after stalled negotiations with fellow countryman Rheinmetall, is reportedly advancing discussions with the Israeli Rafael Advanced Defence Systems in the hope, moreover, of saving the Osnabrück plant which has no industrial project after the end of T-Roc Cabriolet production and has already started building some prototypes right there, or in France where Renault has been persuaded by the government to collaborate with compatriot Turgis Gaillard for the design and production of military drones.
In the U.S., however, General Motors and Ford have not been “called back to the front” since World War II, when their lines were converted to produce 4x4s, vans, armored vehicles, and military aircraft. Now, according to press reports, the Department of War, as Trump renamed it, is not asking them to assemble complete vehicles but to assist in various processes (stamping, casting, and mechanical work) bringing know-how, machinery, and workforce.
AMERICA NEEDS TO REPLENISH THE ARSENALS
Donations to Kyiv earlier – with Joe Biden reportedly depleting stocks anticipating that his successor would instead shut off the taps – and the war in Iran later have pushed U.S. war reserves well beyond critical levels. In other words, the U.S. could for the first time in its history find itself unarmed in the event of a new threat.
This is indirectly revealed by the latest executive order signed by Trump to boost ammunition production: the 2027 budget proposal plans to allocate $1.5 trillion for defense, a stellar budget not seen since World War II, when the United States faced an unprecedented daily war effort. For this reason, many analysts believe the goal is not so much to “use” the new ammunition, but to have warehouses full again.
SUMMONED AND DOUBTS
Putting together all the leaked information so far, the Pentagon has begun consulting both Ford and General Motors as well as GE Aerospace – a subsidiary aerospace company of General Electric – and Oshkosh – a special vehicle manufacturer. However, we are no longer in World War II, when armored cars and vehicles were tough but Spartan: nowadays, besides being tough, they are technology hubs, so reconversion would be limited only to certain stages of production, theoretically metalworking and bodywork, without involving the entire development of military vehicles. Therefore, speaking of “reconversion” of plants in the strict sense would be incorrect.
In Europe, the news has been welcomed because it allows breathing room for plants that were struggling, even if analysts have already pointed out that military production can never replace civilian production given the extremely reduced volumes. In the U.S., however, the outcome could be the opposite, both because the Detroit automakers and surroundings are engaged in getting back on track after the stumble on electric cars and do not want to be overtaken by Chinese rivals, and because public opinion – starting with the Maga base that was essential for Trump’s reelection – is hostile to the wars the American president is pursuing in remote areas, and this new belligerent climate strongly clashes with the ideals of America First.
