The U.S. Department of Defense is focusing on rebuilding the arsenal of freedom, re-establishing deterrents and maintaining security of the homeland, Secretary Pete Hegseth said today.
Sen. Jim Banks hosted the second day of the fourth annual Northeast Indiana Defense Industry Association Summit at Purdue University Fort Wayne’s Walb Student Union. The day featured Hegseth as the keynote speaker, followed by U.S. Secretary of Navy John Phelan and a series of speakers, panels and discussions.
Hegseth said his department is focused on 10 objectives, including reviving the “warrior ethos,” deterring China and reviving the defense industrial base.
“That’s an overview of what a golden age of American war fighting looks like,” he said.
Hegseth was sworn in Jan. 25 as the 29th secretary of defense. President Donald Trump in September signed an executive order to rename the agency the Department of War, but that requires approval from Congress.
Hegseth spoke to a room full of military officers and leaders in the Indiana defense industry. Banks said it’s important members of the Trump administration hear directly from Hoosiers.
“We have some really important businesses in Fort Wayne like L3Harris, Raytheon, BAE and General Dynamics,” he said. “So, to have the secretary of war, the top guy at the Pentagon, come and learn more about what Fort Wayne is up to, what Northeast Indiana is doing to support him and his mission, it’s a big deal to highlight what Indiana already does and also tell the secretary, ‘We want to do even more.’”