JVIS, a commercial automotive component supplier, opened a defense division today, becoming the latest Michigan company to expand into the military sector. The announcement comes as the state seeks to reestablish itself as one of the country’s leading defense manufacturing hubs by drawing on the experience and capacity of its automotive and other commercial industries.
“Michigan built the Arsenal of Democracy once, and we intend to build it again,” Alan Wagner, managing director of the new JVIS Defense and Aerospace company, said in a press release. “Today is about bringing defense work, and the good-paying jobs that come with it, back to Michigan, where the engineering talent and manufacturing know-how have been all along.”
First contract: an auxiliary power unit for the Army
JVIS Defense and Aerospace will operate as a standalone business, separate from the original JVIS company, and provide a range of “advanced defense solutions,” according to the release.
Before the opening, a company spokesperson told Breaking Defense that the new division had already secured its first contract: a $13.2 million award from the Army’s Ground Vehicle Systems Center. The contract covers the “Silent Watch” auxiliary power unit.
The system converts diesel fuel into electricity to keep military equipment running without relying solely on diesel generators. Those generators can produce substantial heat signatures and noise, potentially making troops easier for adversaries to detect.
Army seeks alternatives to diesel generators
The contract follows remarks by senior Army leaders in Detroit in August. They said ground forces need more readily deployable power solutions, noting that soldiers currently lack enough power to efficiently charge drones, communications systems, command posts and other equipment.
Officials said the answer is not simply to buy more generators, use heavier battery packs or rely exclusively on liquid fuels.
“We have got to change the fact that liquid fuel is still the most power dense, efficient way to move energy across the battlefield. We’ve got to change that,” Alex Miller, the Army’s chief technology officer, said at the time.
Miller urged Michigan’s industrial community to help solve the problem, pointing to the state’s longstanding manufacturing and engineering expertise. He said companies in the room — with experience dating back to World War II — were well placed to help the Army develop new solutions.
State strategy targets a wider range of technologies
The opening of JVIS Defense and Aerospace follows the publication of a five-year strategic plan by the Michigan Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation, or ODAI. The plan aims to make better use of the state’s automotive and other commercial industries for military projects.
Signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the strategy seeks to attract defense contracts not only for ground vehicles, but also in drones, space manufacturing and other emerging technology areas.
Its priorities include attracting companies and projects with significant potential impact, accelerating applied research and expanding production capacity that is ready to serve defense needs.
Whitmer wrote that the strategy will “evolve each day as we deepen partnerships, attract investment, collaborate with private sector and academic partners, access private capital, secure federal opportunities, and advance major efforts to strengthen Michigan’s role in national defense.”
Automotive companies turn toward defense
JVIS joins a growing group of Michigan companies that have expanded into the defense sector in recent months. Ford, General Motors, Pratt Miller, Roush and start-up Salient Motion are among those pursuing military contracts for ground vehicles and robots.
Salient Motion has also explored developing components for munitions systems, including the PAC-3 missile.
The moves reflect a broader effort to adapt capabilities built for the automotive and commercial sectors to military requirements. State officials and companies hope Michigan’s manufacturing infrastructure, technical expertise and skilled workforce can help the Army address changing operational needs.
Investments aim to create jobs and strengthen national security
Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan attended the opening ceremony. He said the state continues to produce advanced vehicles and technologies intended to protect US service members.
“Investments like this new technology center build on that legacy by driving the development of next-generation defense technologies, creating good-paying Michigan jobs, and strengthening our national security,” Peters said.
For Michigan, JVIS’s entry into the defense market and ODAI’s new strategy are concrete steps in a broader effort to attract military projects and federal investment. The extent to which those efforts turn the state’s industrial advantages into lasting contracts and long-term production capacity remains to be seen.
