Hegseth Praises Ohio Aerospace Workers During Arsenal of Freedom Tour

In the first of two stops today on his Arsenal of Freedom tour, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth thanked Ohio aerospace workers for working with a warfighter's urgency.

"It's American muscle; it's American power; it's these great citizens in front of me," he said at Sierra Nevada Corporation's Aviation Innovation and Technology Center near Dayton. "What exists in this hangar is not gifted, it was forged. It was forged by labor, by expertise and by the sheer willpower of each of those of you who are here today."

Hegseth said the nation's industrial base is rebuilding, "led by those who served and powered by America's skilled workers, just like you. I want you to know that from the halls of the Pentagon, we are profoundly grateful for the work that you do day in and day out."

The Arsenal of Freedom tour isn't just to highlight weapons platforms, but to thank the people who design and build them, Hegseth said. "We stand on the shoulders of generations of Americans who, if they weren't carrying a rifle, they were manufacturing the tools that went into industry for wars."

Sierra Nevada opened two new hangars at its Dayton facility in April, with a capacity for some of the largest defense and commercial programs in the world, part of $200 million in total investment, according to Ohio development officials.

In rebuilding, Hegseth said, modern deterrence is built upon commercial scale and speed. By delivering predictable demand signals, industries can "hyperscale" production.

"We have to share the kind of urgency the men and women on the cutting edge of the battlefield have," he said. "I don't care what name is on the side of the plane, or on the side of the missile. I want the very best. I want innovators. I want those who can deliver it at cost and ahead of schedule."

The secretary lauded the nation's defense industry and its people as those who make American warriors more effective and efficient.

"To look [service members] in the eyes is to look the best of our country in the eyes. I see that same gleam in the eyes of many of you," he said. "We're all part of the same fight, truly shoulder to shoulder. You stand behind them in their pursuit of their historic mission."

While warfighters are at the tip of the spear, the secretary said, American industry sharpens them.

"With every platform you weld and wire and assemble," Hegseth said, "it gives our warfighters the decisive edge to win and ultimately to return home safely. Never forget that direct line that you have to them on the front lines."

He said the workers' efforts are marking the end of slow-moving procurement models.

"Urgency. Innovation. Speed. Scale. Business, not bureaucracy, all made in America. And that's what Sierra Nevada Corporation is doing in Ohio, and across our great nation. Your expertise and efforts help to expand our defense industrial base and ensure absolute dominance."