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Two of America's industrial heavyweights are joining forces to address a growing problem: the country's defense sector needs to build faster.
Lockheed Martin and GM Defense announced Tuesday a new collaboration aimed at strengthening the nation's manufacturing and defense industrial base, facilitated through the U.S. Department of War. Under a signed memorandum of understanding, the companies will explore ways to merge Lockheed Martin's defense production experience with General Motors' advanced commercial manufacturing and engineering capabilities.
The partnership will center on three priorities: reinforcing defense supply chains, advancing manufacturing and design processes, and identifying opportunities to scale up production capacity using commercial-sector expertise and infrastructure. Early efforts will focus on translating proven commercial manufacturing techniques into defense production settings to speed up readiness timelines.
"America's security depends not only on developing advanced technologies, but on our ability to produce them quickly, reliably and at scale," said Frank St. John, Lockheed Martin's chief operating officer, framing the collaboration as a way to expand capacity and accelerate delivery for the U.S. and its allies.
Steve duMont, president of GM Defense, echoed that sentiment, saying the companies would spend the coming weeks identifying specific projects to pursue jointly. Bruce Brown, GM Defense's head of strategy, indicated the company plans to make its labs and production facilities available as part of the effort.
Neither company has disclosed which specific programs will result from the agreement. St. John said it remains too early to determine where joint investment will be directed. Lockheed has already committed $9 billion through 2030 toward scaling munitions production and modernizing its facilities, while GM is investing $9 billion in capital and $7 billion in research and development across its broader business this year, though the automaker has not specified how much of that will flow into its defense unit.
The move reflects a broader trend across the defense sector, where rising demand has pushed companies to seek out greater production agility and supply chain resilience. Lockheed and GM Defense aren't alone in eyeing closer ties between automotive and military manufacturing, rival automaker Ford has said several governments across Europe and North America have approached the company about how its products might support their defense needs.
