U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited a Los Angeles–based space company as part of his nationwide “Arsenal of Freedom” tour, underscoring the administration’s focus on revitalizing the defense industrial base and securing U.S. technological leadership in aerospace and national security.
During the Jan. 9 visit, Hegseth addressed employees and executives at the space firm, underscoring the strategic importance of domestic aerospace manufacturing to military readiness and national defense. The tour stop, the second in a monthlong campaign, aimed to highlight private-sector contributions to America’s defense industrial base and the role of cutting-edge space technologies in future security operations.
In his remarks, Hegseth lauded the company’s workforce as integral to rebuilding the nation’s industrial might and advancing U.S. space capabilities — what he described as essential to maintaining global “high ground.” He framed the tour as a celebration of American ingenuity and a call to accelerate innovation and production across critical defense sectors.
“The United States is deadly serious about commanding the ultimate high ground of space, a larger, more modern, and more capable constellation of American satellites launched by American rockets from American soil, built by American engineers,” Hegseth said to the crowd.
The “Arsenal of Freedom” tour, launched earlier this week with a stop in Newport News, Virginia, at a major shipbuilding facility, reflects the administration’s broader objective of strengthening U.S. manufacturing capacity to support military readiness. Across stops, Hegseth has emphasized that rebuilding the defense industrial base is crucial for ensuring national security and sustaining technological superiority.
At the Los Angeles space company, the Secretary also highlighted the need for speed and agility in development and production, signaling ongoing concerns about bureaucratic impediments to innovation within the Defense Industrial Base.
The visit sets the stage for Hegseth’s next engagements with major defense contractors, including scheduled visits to SpaceX and Lockheed Martin facilities in Texas later this week, where he is expected to continue advocating for industrial growth and advanced capabilities in the aerospace and defense sectors.
The tour illustrates the Department of War’s emphasis on public-private collaboration in national defense strategy and underscores the administration’s commitment to supporting U.S. companies that contribute to military and space technology ecosystems.
