[Video] Secretary Hegseth in Dayton: Long-Term Contracts for Industry Investment, a Full Audit by 2028
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited Sierra Nevada Corporation in Dayton, Ohio, on October 20 as part of his "Arsenal of Freedom" tour, according to the transcript released by the Department of War. He announced two new efforts: Project Meridian, under a broader Future of Warfare Initiative, and a new four-star Autonomous Warfare Command led by a deputy for autonomous systems.
Hegseth toured the company's Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) aircraft, a next-generation airborne command platform, and noted that nearly a third of the company's workforce are veterans. He said the department is pressing Congress for up to $1.5 trillion in defense investment and will offer five-to-seven-year contracts to companies that invest in new plants and expanded production capacity, in what he called a business, not bureaucracy, model.
He also pledged that the department will pass a full audit by 2028: "2028 is our target." To the defense executives in the room, he said, "If you deliver for America, the Department of War will have your back."
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：战争部长 Pete Hegseth 官方肖像（2025年）。美国战争部发布，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: Official portrait of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (2025). U.S. Department of War, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
