NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Secretary of War Pete Hegseth kicked off a nationwide campaign on Monday called the “Arsenal of Freedom” tour—his first stop: the shipyard in Newport News, Virginia.
His goal is to energize the American workers powering the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), while laying out the administration’s plan to speed delivery of critical equipment to the nation’s warfighters.
Speaking in front of the USS Oklahoma, a new Virginia-class submarine, Secretary Hegseth emphasized that national security starts long before the battlefield, in the shipyards and factories, with the workers building some of America’s most critical systems.
“You are the engine of the arsenal of freedom, patriots, all of you. Our warfighters cannot win without you. We are in this fight together, shoulder to shoulder,” Hegseth said.
He pointed to the work being done at Newport News Shipbuilding, which he says reflects America’s fighting spirit and the administration’s commitment to security.
“A larger, more modern, and more lethal fleet, from the new battleships of the Golden Fleet to the advanced submarines you build right here, will provide that undeniable deterrent,” the Secretary explained.
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Hegseth praised the shipbuilders and sailors around him for building tools he predicts will give the U.S. military a decisive edge in future battles.
“There is an inherent dignity involved in crafting powerful and lethal things. I mean, there’s a reason Jesus was a carpenter, not a politician right? There’s something about building,” he said.
After what Hegseth described as years of decline, erosion, and recklessness, he said U.S. urgency is needed to meet emerging global threats.
“We recognize that we are in a new era of great power competition, a generational struggle to maintain peace through strength, and we will rise to meet that challenge.”
The shipyard in Newport News is currently producing multiple nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, along with several advanced-attack submarines. Last month, the president also announced a new Trump-class battleship is in the design phase.
With this defense demand expected to grow, the Pentagon says it will reward speed, innovation, and performance, investing in companies that meet deadlines and are completed on, or under, budget.
“This is not the same old reform that is always talked about in Washington, but instead, it’s an overhaul. It’s revolutionary. It is a renaissance of American manufacturing,” Hegseth said Monday.
Ultimately, the success of this strategy depends on the ingenuity and commitment of the workers who make up America’s Defense Industrial Base – a mission just as essential as that of the warfighter.
