The Pentagon is in talks on invoking the Defense Production Act to support the government’s response to COVID-19 and determining what that entails for U.S. industry, according to Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy.
For instance, the government could ask a supplier to fill orders for materiel while another manufacturer could make the product needed at scale, McCarthy told reporters March 20 at the Pentagon.
“There’s actually the more extreme measure of turning to elements of American industry and asking them to make a specific product,” he said. “They’re going through a lot of administrative work associated with that and you’ll hear a lot more here soon.”
Separately, the novel coronavirus has caused states including Pennsylvania to stop citizens from going to the office.
The Army just began working with the defense industrial base and Congress on how to continue procurement and development of weapon systems that are on contract.
“I’ll have to work with states and potentially unions and others,” McCarthy said.
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