Hegseth Launches 'Arsenal of Freedom' Tour to Boost US Shipbuilding, Military Might

Speaking at Newport News Shipyard in Virginia, Hegseth said the administration was prepared to move quickly with investments in the maritime industrial base, calling shipyard workers and service members central to national security. "We're in the strength business," he said. "You are in the strength business."

Hegseth said the tour would take senior officials from shipyards to factories across the country to highlight what he described as a revival of American manufacturing and military readiness under President Donald Trump.

He said the administration was guided by three core principles: putting "America and Americans first," pursuing "peace through strength," and rejecting what he called a period of "managed decline" in US industrial and military capacity.

"A nation that cannot build things... is a nation that is in managed decline," Hegseth said, adding that Trump had "rejected it" and "unleashed a great American revival."

Hegseth said the Department of War was experiencing a "historic recruiting surge," with record numbers of Americans seeking to join the military. "Last year was a record of multiple decades," he said. "This year, we're already ahead of last year."

Outlining the administration's military agenda, Hegseth said the first priority was restoring what he called the "warrior ethos" in the armed forces, with an emphasis on standards, discipline, training and lethality.

The second was rebuilding the military with modern equipment and leadership, citing "historic investments over a trillion" dollars in the most recent defense budget. The third, he said, was reestablishing deterrence so strong that adversaries would not test the United States.

Hegseth criticised the previous administration's handling of global conflicts, including the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, saying they raised doubts about American strength. "The world started wondering whether America really was strong and whether America really could lead," he said. "Well, that's over now."

He pointed to recent US actions against the Houthis, Iran and drug trafficking networks as examples of renewed deterrence. Referring to a recent operation in Venezuela, Hegseth said US forces carried out a mission in Caracas to detain an individual wanted by American authorities "without a single American killed."

In his remarks, the Secretary of War highlighted the administration's recent announcement of the "Golden Fleet," describing it as a major investment to revitalize the Navy's shipbuilding capacity and sustain maritime supremacy. This initiative would include a new generation of "Trump-class battleships" and expanded submarine production, he noted.

"This new battle fleet... is a declaration to the world that our command of the seas is and will remain non-negotiable," he said.

He said the administration was also overhauling defense contracting, warning companies that delays and cost overruns would no longer be rewarded. "The era of rewarding delays and cost overruns is over," he said, adding that contracts would favor firms that deliver "on time and on budget."

Hegseth told shipyard workers that their role was inseparable from the safety of US sailors and the country's security. "Our warfighters cannot win without you," he said. "We are in this fight together shoulder to shoulder."

The Newport News Shipyard, operated by Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the only US facility that builds nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of two that produce nuclear-powered submarines for the Navy.

The Trump administration has argued that revitalising domestic manufacturing and shipbuilding is critical as the United States faces growing competition from China, which has carried out a rapid naval expansion in recent years.

- IANS