FORT WORTH, TEXAS January 12, 2026 – U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II production facility in Fort Worth on Monday as part of his ongoing nationwide “Arsenal of Freedom” tour, aimed at revitalizing America’s defense industrial base under President Donald Trump’s second administration.
Speaking to hundreds of workers wearing red, white, and blue hard hats in front of a massive F-35 fighter jet on the assembly line, Hegseth emphasized the need for rapid, large-scale production to outpace adversaries. “We are rebuilding the Arsenal of Freedom,” he declared. “President Trump did it in his first term, and we’re going to do it again.”
Hegseth outlined the tour’s purpose, noting visits to sites across the country—including Texas, Los Angeles, and Mississippi—to engage with manufacturing companies both large and small. “We need them all, and moving fast—at scale, at cost, open architecture so we can compete and out-compete our adversaries,” he said.
The Secretary highlighted ambitious defense spending goals, referencing President Trump’s announced target of $1.5 trillion for national defense in 2027. “That is a message to the world,” Hegseth stated, pledging to spend every dollar wisely while prioritizing savings and investments in troops’ quality of life, including better barracks and pay.
A video clip of the speech, shared by the Department of War’s Rapid Response account on X (formerly Twitter), has garnered significant attention online, with the caption: “UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP AND SECRETARY HEGSETH, WE ARE REBUILDING THE ARSENAL OF FREEDOM.”
The Fort Worth stop follows earlier tour visits to locations such as Newport News Shipyard in Virginia and Rocket Lab in Long Beach, California. Hegseth is also scheduled to visit SpaceX facilities in Brownsville, Texas.
The “Arsenal of Freedom” initiative focuses on reducing bureaucratic hurdles, expanding competition in defense contracting, and strengthening ties between the military and American industry to ensure lethality and readiness.
Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth plant is a key hub for F-35 production, supporting thousands of jobs and contributing billions to the U.S. economy annually.
The tour comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to overhaul Pentagon acquisition processes and prioritize military dominance.
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