On June 22, President Donald Trump confirmed the meeting with defense contractors during a press briefing at the White House.
"We are making a very strong economic drive for weapon production," Trump said, adding that some automobile manufacturers are also pursuing missile production contracts, including for the Patriot system, if they have excess production capacity. He emphasized, "We have quite a few Patriots, but we want to ensure we always have enough."
The meeting between the White House and defense contractors is scheduled for June 24. Companies expected to attend include RTX, Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, and Boeing.
Trump also mentioned that General Motors (GM) could participate in expanding weapon production. "I know GM is very proactive in weapon production," he said, noting that the company plans to convert some factories to produce various weapons, including Patriots and Tomahawks.
Last week, GM announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Lockheed Martin to strengthen the defense industrial base. Bloomberg reported that GM has also been discussing ways to support weapon production expansion with other defense contractors, including RTX.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly stated in a release that the U.S. military has sufficient ammunition and weapon stockpiles to meet all of Trump's strategic goals. However, she added that Trump has consistently urged defense contractors to produce more American-made weapons.
The Trump administration is intensifying pressure to expand weapon production. Last week, Trump invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA), directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to develop a voluntary agreement and action plan to enhance defense industrial capabilities.
The DPA allows the president to coordinate the production and supply of private companies when necessary for national security. Trump cited "structural constraints in the ammunition industrial base" as the reason for this action.
In January, the Trump administration issued an executive order prohibiting defense contractors from paying dividends and buying back shares, pressuring companies to focus on expanding weapon production rather than shareholder returns. After a meeting with defense contractors in March, it was announced that they agreed to quadruple the production of so-called 'cutting-edge weapons.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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