Lockheed Martin, GM Defense Collaborate to Strengthen America’s Manufacturing and Defense Industrial Base
BETHESDA, Md. and DETROIT, June 16, 2026. Lockheed Martin and GM Defense today announced a new collaboration to strengthen America’s manufacturing and defense industrial base, facilitated by the US Department of War.
Working under a memorandum of understanding (MOU), Lockheed Martin and GM Defense 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-rate commercial 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 commercial 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,” said Frank St. John, Chief Operating officer, 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 Defense and Lockheed will further strengthen American manufacturing and national defense by driving greater speed, efficiency, and innovation in the aerospace and defense sectors,” said 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.
