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LOS ANGELES, California — In an assertive push to bolster the U.S. defense sector, War Secretary Pete Hegseth toured a series of aerospace, defense, and weapons manufacturing companies in Southern California. This visit is part of his ongoing “Arsenal of Freedom” initiative, which aims to strengthen ties with smaller technology firms and recognize the critical contributions of engineers in the industry.
During this exclusive leg of Hegseth’s tour on Thursday and Friday, he visited innovative companies such as Divergent Technologies, Castelion, and Rocket Lab. These stops underscore the Pentagon’s commitment to integrating cutting-edge technology from diverse sources into the defense supply chain.
The tour commenced at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) in Los Angeles, where Hegseth led a swearing-in ceremony for 40 new recruits. Following this, he traveled to Torrance to visit Divergent Technologies, a company renowned for its pioneering use of 3D printing in manufacturing supercars and now, weapon components.
Addressing Divergent’s employees on Thursday evening, Hegseth expressed gratitude for their efforts and stressed his determination to overcome bureaucratic inertia at the Pentagon. His focus is on acquiring advanced technology to maintain a competitive edge in global defense.
“Our mission is to inspire you to continue innovating. We need you, as patriots, to push boundaries and equip our warfighters with the tools they need for future conflicts,” Hegseth declared. “Our adversaries are observing our actions closely. If we remain bogged down by outdated methods, we risk losing our edge.
“And I firmly believe that America does not lose,” he concluded, prompting enthusiastic applause from the audience.
“And all I know is America doesn’t lose,” he added, garnering a round of applause.
Divergent CEO Lukas Czinger thanked Hegseth for visiting, writing on LinkedIn that his company is “proud to stand alongside those building the Arsenal of Freedom!”
On Friday, after completing an early morning workout with the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Hegseth took his tour to Castelion, a defense technology startup led by former SpaceX engineers.
Speaking with – News, Castelion cofounder Andrew Kreitz talked about the contracts his company was awarded last year for its Blackbeard weapon system, revealing that the first units are expected to be delivered in 2027.
Blackbeard is the firm’s first long-range hypersonic strike weapon and is designed for mass production, he said.
According to Kreitz, the main “threat” to the United States “is the Chinese Communist Party.”
Hegseth delivered a similar motivational speech to the engineers at Castelion, saying “the point of this tour is to look all of you in the eye, and tell you that what you are doing is just as important” as the military’s work.
The secretary continued on to say that he wants to “rip” apart bureaucracy at the Pentagon so that “companies like this one can compete on your merits” for defense contracts, which was met with applause.
Lastly, Hegseth visited Rocket Lab in Long Beach, which caught plenty of attention on social media from stockholders.
Speaking with Rocket Lab’s engineers, he told the 200-some-member team that they “are the engine of the new Arsenal of Freedom” for the U.S. to “project its will anywhere, anytime without question.”
In December, the U.S. Space Force awarded the company a $805 million contract to develop 18 defense satellites meant to detect enemy missiles in low Earth orbit, the Long Beach Post reported.
At the end of Hegseth’s remarks, a brief “USA!” chant broke out among the employees.
The Arsenal of Freedom tour, which continued this week in Texas with visits to Lockheed Martin and SpaceX, comes as Trump called for the military budget to be increased to $1.5 trillion in 2027.
