GM and Lockheed Martin to Collaborate on Defense Manufacturing
General Motors and Lockheed Martin plan to collaborate on a defense manufacturing initiative. Photo courtesy Lockheed Martin Corp.
DETROIT—General Motors and Lockheed Martin plan to collaborate on a manufacturing initiative that is designed to strengthen America's defense industrial base. The two companies will “explore opportunities to accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities and innovation by combining Lockheed Martin's defense production expertise with General Motors' advanced industrial capabilities in [high-volume] manufacturing and engineering.”
The collaboration will focus on three areas: strengthening defense supply chains; advancing manufacturing and design capabilities; and evaluating opportunities to expand production capacity through manufacturing expertise and infrastructure. Initial efforts will include exploring ways to accelerate production readiness and apply proven commercial manufacturing approaches to support defense production requirements.
"America's security depends not only on developing advanced technologies, but on our ability to produce them quickly, reliably and at scale," says Frank St. John, chief operating officer of Lockheed Martin. "This collaboration brings together two leaders in American manufacturing and innovation to explore new ways to strengthen the defense industrial base, expand production capacity and accelerate delivery of critical capabilities for the United States and its allies."
"Working together, GM and Lockheed will further strengthen American manufacturing and national defense by driving greater speed, efficiency, and innovation in the aerospace and defense sectors," adds Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. "Over the coming weeks, we will be working to identify initial projects to pursue together."
The collaboration reflects growing demand for greater production capacity, supply chain resilience and manufacturing agility across the defense sector. By combining commercial and defense expertise, the companies aim to identify opportunities that can accelerate production timelines while maintaining the quality, performance and reliability standards required for mission-critical systems.
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