Overview
- At Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth F-35 plant, Hegseth told workers the Pentagon will reward speed, competition and open architecture as part of a wider acquisition overhaul.
- Hegseth invoked President Trump’s Jan. 7 executive order that targets underperforming contractors, warning primes to “step up” or risk losing access to expanded funding.
- He highlighted the administration’s goal to lift the defense budget to $1.5 trillion in 2027, casting the increase as a deterrent and a catalyst for industrial expansion.
- In Brownsville, he visited SpaceX’s Starbase with Elon Musk and castigated a “risk-averse” culture; some outlets reported he confirmed plans to integrate SpaceX’s Grok AI, which the Pentagon has not detailed in official releases.
- Hegseth met wounded service members in San Antonio from recent Venezuela operations and credited the F-35 with a significant role in that mission.