WASHINGTON—In a move that harkens back to Detroit’s “Arsenal of Democracy” during World War II, U.S. defense officials have held high-level talks with Ford Motor Co. and General Motors about producing military equipment and weapons. The Pentagon would like to enlist the companies and their manufacturing expertise to replenish supplies that have recently been depleted by the wars in Iran and Ukraine.

According to Reuters and The Wall Street Journal, “American manufacturers might be needed to backstop traditional defense contractors.” That’s because, “⁠the U.S. has drawn down billions of dollars' worth of weapons stockpiles, including artillery systems, ammunition and anti-tank missiles.”