US automakers could begin producing missiles and other weapons as Washington moves to expand military output and replenish its arsenals, President Donald Trump has said.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said car companies with spare factory capacity are discussing deals to manufacture weapons, including Patriot air-defense missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles.

”They’re dealing with General Motors. They’re dealing with Ford,” Trump said. “I know General Motors is all excited about building weapons now.”

He added that some plants belonging to the two carmakers are expected to be converted to military production, describing the shift as part of a “big strong economic push” to produce arms.

His remarks come after the Wall Street Journal reported in April that the Pentagon had approached General Motors, Ford, GE Aerospace, and Oshkosh about retooling civilian factories to produce munitions and other military equipment.

The talks were reportedly part of an effort to put US industry on what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called a “wartime footing,” echoing the World War II-era conversion of Detroit factories to military production.

The push comes amid mounting concern over the state of US weapons stockpiles after years of arms deliveries to Ukraine under former President Joe Biden and heavy missile use during the recent US-Israeli war against Iran.

US media and think-tanks have warned that Washington burned through large quantities of critical munitions during the Iran campaign, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, Patriot interceptors, THAAD missiles, and other advanced systems.

Reuters has also reported that depleted inventories could delay US arms deliveries to fellow NATO members.

Trump has downplayed shortage concerns, saying the US has “quite a few” missiles but wants to keep larger reserves. His administration has requested a record military budget of around $1.5 trillion for the 2027 fiscal year, with much of the increase expected to go towards replenishing stockpiles and expanding production.

https://www.rt.com/news/642021-trump-us-carmakers-missiles/

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The US will set up at least two domestic testing ranges that mimic battlefield conditions in Ukraine, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said on Tuesday.

Driscoll said defense contractors would have access to the sites, where the Army and industry “can start to do much more aggressive testing,”according to DefenseScoop.

The US has been struggling to keep pace with rapidly evolving drone technology used extensively by both Russia and Ukraine.

“You can have a kind of electronic warfare and all of the contested environment created, and you can have drone manufacturers and counter-drone tool-builders engaging together,” Driscoll told reporters at an Army-hosted industry event.

“Then, we also want soldiers to be able to go there so that they can strengthen their skills and work hand-in-hand with developers,” he added.

According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon is actively seeking companies capable of producing 300,000 low-cost kamikaze drones and is prepared to spend $54.6 billion next year on an expanded drone warfare program.

The widespread use of surveillance and attack drones in the Ukraine conflict has created vast ‘kill zones’ along the front line, with both sides using UAVs to repel mechanized assaults and carry out strikes deep inside enemy territory.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said earlier this month that domestic companies now have the capacity to produce more than 15,000 FPV drones per day, up from about 15,000 per month in 2023.

Moscow has warned that Western supplies of drone technology and other weapons to Kiev make NATO a de facto participant in the conflict and risk further escalation.

Ukraine frequently uses drones to strike civilian targets. Last month, UAVs destroyed a college dormitory in Russia’s Starobelsk, killing 21 students.

On June 3, a Ukrainian drone struck a commuter bus in Enakievo, killing eight passengers. Two weeks later, a drone hit a bus carrying a youth football team from Belarus near the Russian village of Nelzhichi, killing a pregnant woman and injuring eight people, including six children.

https://www.rt.com/news/642037-us-ranges-mimic-ukraine/

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Western nations are no longer hiding their preparations for war with Russia, President Vladimir Putin has said, adding that NATO and EU leaders are using “false claims” about the supposed ‘Russian threat’ to justify rampant militarization.

Putin made the remarks on Tuesday during a ceremony in the Kremlin for graduates of Russia’s military, security, and law enforcement academies, saying NATO’s posture has shifted from supporting Kiev with weapons and funding to outright preparations for war.

“Now, they are openly saying that they are preparing for war with us, increasing military offensive budgets,” Putin said. He argued that Western governments are using the same playbook that has always been used against Russia.

At first, they create threats for our country, force us to take actions necessary for self-defense, and then immediately accuse us of all mortal sins to justify the continuation of their aggressive policy,” he said, drawing parallels to the attempts by Nazi Germany and other Western countries to label the Soviet Union as the aggressor after Germany launched a surprise invasion in 1941.

Putin’s remarks come as NATO’s European members and Canada raised defense spending by 20% in real terms in 2025, reaching a combined $574 billion, citing the supposed ‘Russian threat’. Moscow has dismissed speculation that it plans to attack NATO countries as “nonsense.”

Turning to Ukraine’s drone campaign against Russian cities, Putin said the strikes on civilian infrastructure are designed “to rock society” rather than achieve military aims. “When the whole West is working for them, with this huge flow of drones, [the aim is] to create doubt in the actions of the Russian Armed Forces,” he said.

Putin noted, however, that European nations are still reluctant to launch strikes on Russia from their own territory because “they understand that there will be retaliation.”

Putin’s comments came as Ukraine continues to carry out long-range strikes deep into Russia, which often lead to civilian casualties. Last week, Kiev launched a drone raid on Moscow – the largest in two years – with Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reporting the destruction of 194 drones. The attack damaged an oil refinery, a shopping center, and several residential buildings, with more than a dozen people injured.

https://www.rt.com/russia/642018-west-gearing-war-russia-putin/

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The situation on the front lines for Kiev is rapidly deteriorating, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

"We know and see that the Kiev regime, as the situation on the front for it rapidly deteriorates, as the enemy loses one territory after another, and our fighters take control of one settlement after another, has adopted the tactic of attacking our civilian facilities, our civilian infrastructure. They are trying to create problems with energy supplies and influence the tourist season," Putin said during a meeting with members of the government.

Putin also instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to take additional measures to minimize the impact of Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20260623/enemy-is-losing-territory-piece-by-piece---putin-1124349439.html

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