Department of War Announces a $450 Million Investment in The Elmet Group to Secure America's Tungsten Supply Chain

Sept. 14, 2026 |

The Department of War's Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy, in partnership with the Economic Defense Unit, announced today a $450 million redeemable preferred equity investment in The Elmet Group through the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program. This strategic investment will strengthen domestic tungsten capacity, bolster U.S. industrial resilience and military readiness, and help secure an essential material for the defense industrial base.

"This investment reflects the Department's commitment to rebuilding critical industrial capacity in the United States," said assistant secretary of War for industrial base policy Hon. Mike Cadenazzi. "Expanding domestic tungsten processing will strengthen supply chain resilience, support high-quality manufacturing jobs, and reinforce the production base behind essential defense systems."

The Elmet Group is the only U.S.-owned, fully integrated producer of tungsten and molybdenum materials and components, supports more than 100 Department of War programs, including the F-35, Patriot PAC-3, Trident D5, NGI, PrSM, and Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines. Tungsten is a foundational input for the defense industrial base, prized for its hardness, heat resistance, density, and durability, and used in critical components across missiles, munitions, aerospace, propulsion, naval, undersea, electronics, and industrial manufacturing applications.

"The Economic Defense Unit was created to identify critical industrial chokepoints before adversaries can exploit them and before they become battlefield risk," said George K. Kollitides II, director of the Economic Defense Unit. "Tungsten is essential to the systems that protect American warfighters and sustain deterrence, and this investment helps secure a domestic processing capability the United States cannot afford to leave exposed. By pairing targeted Department support with a disciplined preferred equity structure, we are strengthening the supply chain behind more than 100 defense programs while protecting taxpayers and delivering for the joint force."

The Department's investment into Elmet will also establish the only independent ammonium paratungstate facility in North America, which is a key step for tungsten processing and one of the largest chokepoints across the U.S. industrial base. By expanding U.S.-aligned refining and processing capacity, this investment will help reduce reliance on adversary-dominated supply chains in markets where China currently dominates global supply, including an estimated 85 percent of tungsten and 40 percent of molybdenum.

The Department's investment is expected to generate substantial economic benefits, including new high-tech jobs across Coldwater, Michigan, and Lewiston, Maine, preserving high-paying manufacturing jobs in Euclid, Ohio, and increasing demand for upstream mining jobs in Nevada.

It is also expected to support approximately 1,200 downstream jobs across manufacturing, engineering, and logistics networks tied to major defense suppliers.

The investment reflects the Department's broader strategy to secure critical industrial inputs, protect the defense supply chain, and ensure the United States can produce the materials required for sustained military advantage.

Department of War Issues Legal Waiver to Authorize Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Disclosures to PURSUE

Sept. 14, 2026 |

In direct alignment with President Trump's mandate for comprehensive transparency on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), the Department of War (DOW) today announced the issuance of a targeted legal waiver. This waiver establishes an authorized, legally protected disclosure mechanism for current and former personnel to provide UAP-related National Defense Information (NDI) to designated representatives of the PURSUE effort.

Under this directive, all current and former DOW service members, civilian personnel, and contractors holding or previously granted access to UAP-related National Defense Information (NDI) are authorized to disclose protected information directly to official PURSUE representatives. The waiver supersedes civil and administrative enforcement provisions contained within Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and Special Access Program Indoctrination Agreements (SAPIAs) previously executed within the United States, strictly for communications directed to the PURSUE team.

This targeted legal relief establishes an authorized pipeline for systematic review, security evaluation, and potential declassification of historical and ongoing UAP data in furtherance of national mission objectives.

Historically, individuals with direct knowledge of UAP-related programs cited concerns regarding potential legal liability, loss of clearances, or administrative prosecution stemming from standard NDAs and SAP indoctrination terms.

This waiver removes those barriers by explicitly authorizing covered disclosures to PURSUE representatives without triggering breach-of-agreement penalties or standard NDA violations.

Rebuilding Defense Industrial Base Requires Skilled Labor

Sept. 8, 2026 | By C. Todd Lopez, Pentagon News |

To remain competitive, the United States must rebuild its defense industrial base — the private sector companies that provide the military with hardware and munitions — and that means more than just facilities and businesses.  

That was the message delivered by Michael Cadenazzi, the assistant secretary of war for industrial base policy, during a field hearing before the House Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee in Santa Clarita, California, Sept. 4. He noted that rebuilding the defense industrial base also means having the right people lining up to do the skilled work at those facilities, such as welding and machining.

"My focus here today is on the skilled tradespeople we need to rebuild and scale the [defense industrial base]: the engineers, the pipe fitters, the welders and those who make the world's finest weapons for our warfighters," Cadenazzi said. 

Through a variety of initiatives, the War Department has made it a priority to encourage young Americans to choose skilled trades to provide the workforce needed to rebuild America's industrial base. 

"Decades of government policy and societal pressure have driven millions of talented young Americans toward degrees, which haven't delivered the benefits they were promised, and have left defense manufacturers with few skilled workers waiting in the wings," Cadenazzi said. 

The secretary said there are some 400,000 unfilled skilled-trade jobs in the defense industrial base today, and that number could grow to 2.5 million over the next decade. 

Getting Americans into those jobs means convincing young people that skilled-trades work is good work, and meaningful; it is a tall order, he said. 

"We need to reach Americans in their living rooms and classrooms, break the stigma of blue-collar work and drive a massive influx of passionate, capable people into these programs," Cadenazzi said. 

The next workforce that will work in the trades and fill skilled labor positions, he said, is in grade school right now. Those young people need to be reached now to pique their interest. 

"Our approach is that if you don't get kids excited in elementary [and] middle school about the trades, by the time that they graduate high school, they're not actually interested," Cadenazzi said. "[Our] next generation of submarine builders is in middle school today ... so we've got to get them excited in the moment." 

He noted that one potential hurdle will be parents, who may be reluctant to encourage their children to choose a path other than continuing their education in college, because they may themselves be the first in their families to have attended. 

"The idea of their kid going to the trades needs to be something they consider," he said. "We need to help the parents understand that this is a great alternative for their children for the future."

Earlier this summer, the War Department launched the Build Freedom Initiative, which promotes and funds blue-collar careers. Through the initiative, coupled with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's arsenal of freedom effort, the department aims to strengthen the nation by encouraging more Americans to choose the skilled-trade workforce. For the War Department, that means rebuilding the defense industrial base, including training more young Americans to build and repair ships, aircraft and munitions. 

"Build Freedom will act as a national hiring, training and awareness campaign to drive America's resurgence in defense manufacturing," Cadenazzi told lawmakers. "Build Freedom aligns more than 70 industrial-based analysis and sustainment, or IBAS, workforce projects under one campaign, ensuring that federally funded workforce opportunities reach the Americans they were designed to serve." 

The Build Freedom Initiative was initially launched in three states — Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania — and DOW plans to expand the program nationwide.  

"This national awareness will drive individuals to our new buildfreedom.us website, a one-stop shop where their interests can be converted into scholarships, training, credentials and job opportunities," Cadenazzi said. "Our goal with Build Freedom is to send a clear, compelling message to the American public: there are hundreds of thousands of good-paying, [artificial intelligence-proof] jobs available today in the [defense industrial base] and in other skilled trades."

Hegseth Attends First Space Academy Commission Meeting

Sept. 9, 2026 | By Matthew Olay, Pentagon News |

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth traveled to NASA's headquarters in Washington today where he attended the first meeting of the presidential commission on the U.S. Space Academy. 

President Donald J. Trump called for the development of a space academy via an Aug. 28 executive order. The order states that the space domain is critical to national security and that the nation must prepare the next generation of space professionals — including those in the military — in order to defend national interests. 

The commission, which is chaired by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, brings together senior leaders from the War Department, the Office of Management and Budget, and the National Security Council. 

During his brief remarks at the meeting's outset, Hegseth praised Isaacman and Air Force Secretary Troy Meink — both of whom attended — as well as President Trump for their leadership in getting the counsel assembled and on the path toward developing a space academy. 

"We are full speed ahead on this partnership on the United States Space Academy and the need for it. The president's been a leader in this domain from the beginning: the Space Force in the first term, [the] Space Academy in the second term," Hegseth said. 

Trump established the Space Force, which falls under the Department of the Air Force, Dec. 20, 2019, when the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 was signed into law. 

Hegseth went on to say that space is a domain that the U.S. can't just be "good at." 

"We need to dominate [in space]; and it's not just what we do at the War Department — it's what we do across government, at NASA, in private industry, in collaboration at every echelon," he said. "And so, we see this academy as a key component of ensuring we don't just lead, but we dominate." 

During his opening statement, Isaacson said that the U.S. is currently in another space race, namely with China and Russia, and that "success and failure comes down to months, not years." 

"This is why I think President Trump created the Space Force in his first term … and why now he has charged us to create the United States Space Academy: to make sure we have this training ground for the next generation of technicians, engineers, operators, pilots and astronauts to serve the needs of NASA, as well as the Space Force and other government agencies," he said. 

"Having an academy where we can train the next generation of space professionals — whether it be civilian or military — is just critically important," Meink said during his remarks. "So, we are really looking forward to working with [NASA] to make sure that happens, as well as just the increasing partnership we have [with] NASA across the board. ... I'm really looking forward to [the collaboration]."  

Per the executive order, the committee has until late December of this year to submit a report to the president proposing key details for the establishment of the academy.

Department of War Announces Navy's First Advanced Nuclear Microreactor Deployment at Naval Weapons Station Crane, Indiana

Sept. 9, 2026 |

The Department of War announced the planned installation of the State of Indiana's first advanced nuclear Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) at Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Crane no later than September 2028. This action implements President Donald J. Trump's Executive Orders, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security and Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base, which advances a clear mandate to restore American nuclear leadership globally, remove barriers to innovation, and rebuild the domestic nuclear workforce.

The overall project is being executed jointly by the Army's Janus Program, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)), and the State of Indiana. Together, these partners will secure continuous power for one of the Nation's most important defense technology and weapons installations, create highly skilled American jobs, strengthen the American nuclear supply chain, and rebuild the industrial capacity required for national defense.

The commercially owned and operated MMR at NWS Crane, one of the United States' premier warfighting innovation and capability development hubs, marks the first step in a larger, unified Department-wide effort to deploy safe and secure nuclear power for national security. The MMR installation will provide reliable, around-the-clock power independent of the commercial electric grid, capable of sustaining critical operations under the most demanding conditions. As the first power-producing reactor installed in Indiana, this project expands the United States' power generation capacity and modernizes the energy infrastructure needed to serve local communities and advance missions critical to national security.

The MMR installation is being executed through the Army's Janus Program, in coordination with the Department of the Navy, the Department of War Innovation Unit, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies (OASW(CT)). This cross-service effort brings together the Army's role as the Department's executive agent for installation nuclear energy, the Navy's operational mission at NWS Crane, DIU's access to commercial innovation, and the Department's critical technology enterprise.

"Under President Trump's bold leadership, the Department of War is rapidly fielding next-generation energy solutions for our warfighters," said Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering. "We are unleashing the American nuclear industrial base to ensure our military installations possess the resilient infrastructure required to maintain uninterrupted operations."

OASW(CT) is leading the coordination of key stakeholders across the Department to integrate and execute the Crane project under the Janus Program. "At Critical Technologies, we start from a simple first principle: a technology matters only when it reaches the mission," said Mike Dodd, Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies. "Our standard is to field and deploy capability within 24 months or less. President Trump's Executive Order gave the Department a clear mandate to move advanced nuclear power from promise to deployment. We turned that mandate into a focused sprint within our Contested Logistics Critical Technology Area to deliver this capability on time and on target, strengthen the American nuclear industrial base, and secure a decisive advantage for our warfighters."

"Janus was designed from the beginning to deliver capability beyond the Army," said the Honorable W. Jordan Gillis, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. "This partnership demonstrates what is possible when we combine the Army's nuclear expertise and regulatory authorities with the operational installation requirements of our sister Services and the innovation of American industry. Together, we are building a pathway to resilient nuclear power that can strengthen mission assurance across the Joint Force."

"Energy security is warfighting capability. Hosting the Navy's first shore-based advanced microreactor at NWS Crane under the Janus Program underscores our commitment to hardening our shore infrastructure against evolving physical, cyber, and grid vulnerabilities," said the Honorable Brendan Rogers, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment. "Partnering with the Army and OASW(CT) allows us to move with speed, establish a resilient firm power backbone, and protect the vital research, development, and manufacturing our Fleet depends on every day."

This initiative builds on more than a year of close coordination between the Department of War and Indiana state leadership. Senator Jim Banks has been an indispensable partner in advancing the MMR initiative from concept to installation in the Hoosier State. His leadership, together with the direct support of Governor Mike Braun, Senator Todd Young, Representative Erin Houchin, and Representative Mark Messmer, has cleared the path for the Department to move with speed to secure our national defense infrastructure.

The Department will continue to work with Federal, state, and local partners throughout the required safety, environmental, regulatory, and installation processes. Nuclear safety, physical security, cybersecurity, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources will remain central at every stage. This project marks the first milestone of President Trump's mandate to revitalize the American nuclear industrial base and deploy next-generation energy technologies to secure an enduring advantage for the Joint Force.

One Year In, U.S. Space Command Headquarters Relocation Moving Expeditiously to 'Rocket City, USA'

Sept. 2, 2026 |

On Sept. 2, 2025, President Donald J. Trump announced the relocation of U.S. Space Command's headquarters from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. Since then, USSPACECOM's rapid footprint expansion in the region highlights the command's commitment to an expeditious transition while remaining laser-focused on its no-fail mission.

Today, more than 140 uniformed and civilian personnel assigned to the command's headquarters perform their jobs from three facilities across the Arsenal. This element represents approximately 10% of the organization's total manpower.

USSPACECOM's presence in Alabama includes dedicated relocation support functions, but has also expanded to personnel who directly contribute to the combatant command's mission, which was previously carried out exclusively from Colorado Springs.

Earlier this year in April, the Intelligence Directorate established its Joint Intelligence Support Element. The team, which fulfills global intelligence requirements daily, is the first staff directorate to support operations from Northern Alabama.

Speaking to media last month while in Huntsville for a keynote at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium, the commander of USSPACECOM, Gen. Stephen Whiting, said he expected the growth to continue at the same sustained pace.

"Now, about 11 months since the President made his announcement, we have over 113 people," Whiting told reporters on August 12. "We're on our way to 200 people by the end of this year…and half of our staff here in 2028."

To support this growth, the command is offering financial incentives to its current civilian workforce for retention and mission continuity, while also increasing its visibility and hiring efforts across Northern Alabama and ensuring personnel resources and services are available.

The command's transition team on Redstone, alongside the headquarters' Logistics and Engineering (J4) and Digital Superiority (J6) directorates, works closely with Redstone Arsenal's Garrison leadership to establish interim workspaces while developing plans for the future, purpose-built command and control facility (C2F). Many of the facilities made available during this phase were generously provided by current tenant units, including the Missile Defense Agency, the Missile and Space Intelligence Center, the FBI, and the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.

Securing $147.5 million in fiscal year 2026 funding enabled the command to establish a secure digital infrastructure, immediately supporting the command's growing staff on Redstone. Crucially, this digital foundation guarantees uninterrupted global command and control as operations scale to support ultimately more than 900 headquarters staff by fiscal year 2028.

This funding, secured through coordination with the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Financial Management & Comptroller and the Office of the Secretary of War-Comptroller, ensures the command will operate seamlessly from interim facilities until the final C2F is operational.

The speed with which the transition is progressing, Whiting said, highlights how effectively various entities across the Department of War are working together.

"Thanks to the incredible support shown to the command, to include the Department of the Air Force, Army Contracting Command, and Team Redstone – alongside communities in both Colorado and Alabama, our team has remained laser focused on sustaining full mission execution while keeping our headquarters relocation moving on-time and on-budget," he said. "It is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of our people that we accomplished this while advancing national interests on-orbit alongside allies and partners and delivering space effects to the Joint Force."

Maj. Gen. Terry L. Grisham, director of USSPACECOM's Redstone Transition Team and long-time Huntsville resident, echoed Whiting's sentiment.

"This isn't just a move; it's a clear demonstration of this command's commitment to executing the President's directive with the speed and decisiveness our mission demands," Grisham said.

The Department of the Air Force's support was critical as USSPACECOM's executive agent, providing financial, civil engineering, administrative, logistical, and service integration support.

"This transition is key to accelerating how we deliver space capabilities to joint warfighters," said Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. "By streamlining our footprint, focusing on faster MILCON processes for our interim and future facilities, and working closely with our partners, we're ensuring U.S. Space Command has the speed, integration, and agility needed to maintain superiority. And this lift is all possible because our workforce has shown incredible resilience and dedication in mission continuity."

While the command has driven progress on the ground, Other Transactional Authorities (OTAs) included in the National Defense Authorization Act accelerated the timeline by utilizing an agile, progressive design-build process. This legislative backing secured $57 million this fiscal year specifically dedicated to the planning and design of the permanent C2F, streamlining traditional acquisition timelines to keep the construction schedule on track.

Over the last year, USSPACECOM has validated its capacity to carry out an expeditious relocation, while simultaneously delivering military spacepower to warfighters around the globe without interruption, including during operations INHERENT RESOLVE, ABSOLUTE RESOLVE and EPIC FURY.

"Over the past year, the Department of War has carried out the President's direction to relocate U.S. Space Command with speed and common sense, identifying and leveraging every opportunity to cut through red tape and bureaucracy in order to get the job done," Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said. "As we continue to execute this move, we do so with the same unrelenting focus on sustaining America's dominance in space and expanding our lethality in all warfighting domains."

Within 24 hours of President Trump's announcement last year, USSPACECOM representatives were on the ground engaging with local community leaders to establish relationships and develop a way forward. As the command continues to transition to its permanent home in Alabama, its momentum remains underpinned by the support of Congress, partnerships spanning the entire Department of War, and the Colorado Springs and Huntsville-Madison communities.

Department of War Launches Secure Space Network to Break Down Barriers to Classified Defense Work

Sept. 3, 2026 |

New capability will remove barriers to classified collaboration, strengthen the defense industrial base and accelerate delivery of critical capabilities

The Department of War today announced the Secure Space Network, a new effort to expand access to classified work by designing, producing, and deploying approximately 50 mobile Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) and related information systems across the United States. This effort will enable more defense suppliers to participate in classified development, collaboration, and production by broadening regional access to accredited secure workspaces.

Led by the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment's Office of Industrial Base Growth, the Secure Space Network will provide rapidly deployable secure facilities that can be positioned at military installations, industry-focused sites such as APEX Accelerators, and other mission-relevant locations. 

"We must make it easier for capable companies to contribute at every level of the mission. Industry has identified access to classified environments as a major barrier, and the Secure Space Network directly addresses that challenge by opening the door to classified work for more companies. With strong partnership across the agency and support from Congress, this effort will strengthen our supplier base and help deliver the capabilities our warfighters need faster and at greater scale," said James R. Mismash, Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Growth and Director of the Office of Small Business Programs.

The Secure Space Network addresses a persistent barrier facing companies seeking to support national defense: access to the secure infrastructure necessary to perform classified work. By making accredited secure environments available for companies in more locations across the country, the Department can expand the pool of companies able to contribute capabilities, collaborate directly with government teams, and compete for classified defense work.

Expanding the Defense Industrial Base

Many companies with technologies relevant to national security do not have ready access to accredited facilities where classified information can be discussed, developed and integrated. For emerging and non-traditional suppliers seeking to work with the Department, establishing fixed classified infrastructure can require significant time and investment, creating a barrier to entry and business expansion.

The Secure Space Network provides a scalable alternative.

Mobile secure facilities can be rapidly deployed, while fixed facilities can provide enduring secure collaboration capacity. Together, these capabilities will drastically expand where government and authorized industry partners can conduct classified work.

The result is a larger and more capable supplier base with greater opportunities to move from unclassified engagement into classified development and production, increasing competition across the industrial base.

Building Secure Capacity at Speed and Scale

This initial production effort will establish a repeatable capability to expand secure infrastructure as national and industrial requirements grow.

The Secure Space Network will also establish scalable production capacity for the mobile units, providing the Department with a surge-capable pathway for rapidly increasing accredited secure workspace capacity across the defense industrial base.
Rather than relying solely on traditional facility construction, the approach gives the Department greater flexibility to position secure capabilities closer to emerging mission requirements, suppliers and technology development activities.

Advancing Acquisition Transformation

The Secure Space Network advances Acquisition Transformation by using an agile, iterative approach to reduce risk and accelerate delivery, in partnership with Space Development Agency. At the same time, expanding access to secure infrastructure enables more suppliers to participate in classified work—strengthening competition and growing defense industrial base to deliver capability to the warfighter faster.