Ford in Talks to Supply Pickups to Military in North America

Ford said it is offering to convert its F-Series pickup trucks, including its biggest Super Duty trucks, for military use. (Ford)

Ford Motor Co. is in negotiations with defense departments in Europe and North America to supply pickup trucks and software to their armed forces.

The talks, which began last year, are “productive,” though they haven’t yet yielded a contract, the automaker said May 18 in a blog post. CEO Jim Farley told analysts last month the automaker is in “early discussions with the U.S. government on some defense-related needs.”

Ford now says the negotiations have involved other countries, which it did not identify.

“These governments recognize that the vehicles, features and software we provide to construction fleets, utility crews and other workers in the essential economy through Ford Pro are exactly what they need to modernize their own vehicle fleets,” Ford said in the post.

The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker is moving to capitalize on the U.S. Defense Department’s desire to diversify its contractors to improve service and reduce cost. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll earlier this year cited Ford and General Motors Co. as companies the Defense Department is looking to work with.

“Can you go get GM? Can you get the Fords,” Driscoll told Bloomberg in a February interview. “Can you get a lot of American companies that are incredibly strong to come back to the defense space?”

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Farley 

Detroit’s automakers played a critical role in building aircraft, vehicles and engines during World War II in what became known as the Arsenal of Democracy. More recently, Ford switched to manufacturing ventilators and personal protective equipment during the pandemic in 2020.

In the ongoing talks with defense departments, Ford said it is offering to convert its top-selling F-Series pickup trucks, including its biggest Super Duty trucks, for military use. 

“We are still in the early stages of this work,” Ford said. “While we have not finalized any specific projects in the defense market, the dialogue with governments in North America and Europe remains productive. ”