Secretary of Army Visits Southern California Manufacturers
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Secretary of the Army Pete Hegseth recently toured aerospace, defense, and weapons manufacturers as part of his Freedom Arsenal initiative, emphasizing the Department of Defense’s dedication to small technology contractors and expressing gratitude to engineers for their contributions.
Breitbart News was allowed exclusive access to this segment of Hegseth’s tour, which included stops at Divergent Technologies, Castellion, and Rocket Lab over Thursday and Friday.
His visit began at the Military Entry Processing Station (MEPS) in Los Angeles, where he participated in an oath ceremony for 40 new recruits before heading to Torrance. Divergent, known for its advanced 3D printing to create supercars, is now also producing components for weapons.
During the evening, Hegseth praised the employees, underlining his resolve to navigate Pentagon bureaucracy to secure improved technology.
“Our goal is to inspire you to continue pushing boundaries,” he stated. “We need you as patriots to equip our soldiers for the next challenges we face. Our adversaries are closely observing our actions. If we linger in outdated practices, we risk falling behind.” He noted, “The only constant is that America remains undefeated,” which garnered applause from the audience.
Divergent’s CEO, Lukas Czinger, expressed his appreciation for Hegseth’s visit, stating on LinkedIn that his company felt honored to collaborate with those contributing to the “arsenal of freedom.”
On Friday morning, Hegseth joined the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) for a tour of Kastellion, a defense tech startup led by a former SpaceX engineer.
Andrew Kreitz, a co-founder at Kastellion, noted that the company won an award last year for its Blackbeard weapons system, which is expected to first deliver units by 2027. This system is designed for long-range hypersonic attacks and aims for mass production.
Kreitz identified the “Chinese Communist Party” as the primary threat to the United States.
Hegseth reaffirmed the importance of these technology roles, saying, “This tour is about recognizing that your work is as crucial as what our military accomplishes,” directly addressing the technicians at Castellion. He expressed a desire to “disassemble” bureaucratic barriers within the Pentagon, allowing companies to compete fairly for defense contracts, which was met with applause.
His visit concluded at Rocket Lab in Long Beach, a company that has garnered significant attention from shareholders on social media.
While speaking to Rocket Lab engineers, he emphasized their role as the “powerhouse” behind a new arsenal of freedom, capable of enabling the U.S. to “project its will without question, anytime, anywhere.” Recently, the U.S. Space Force awarded Rocket Lab an $805 million contract to develop 18 defense satellites for tracking enemy missiles in low Earth orbit, as reported by the Long Beach Post.
As Hegseth wrapped up his comments, employees responded with a spontaneous chant of “USA!”
The Freedom Arsenal Tour is set to continue this week in Texas, with upcoming visits to Lockheed Martin and SpaceX, amidst discussions of a projected military budget increase to $1.5 trillion by 2027.
