Trump, Hegseth Announce New Maryland Shipyard

Oct. 6, 2026 | By C. Todd Lopez, Pentagon News |

President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth today announced the development of a new shipyard, to be called "Arsenal-2," during a ceremony at the future site in Sparrows Point, Maryland.

The project will include a $6.6 billion investment from the Navy and Anduril Industries, which will build and operate the site. 

The shipyard is expected to be the largest of its kind in the United States and will be designed to produce submarines, submarine components and autonomous underwater vessels.

"Today, we're officially launching the construction of the largest new shipyard in the United States," Trump said while speaking in front of the USS Billings. "Since World War II, there's been nothing like what we're doing today."

The new shipyard, made possible by both private and public investment, will provide great value to Baltimore, the president said, especially with the number of jobs it brings.

"In a tremendous victory for our country and for the city of Baltimore, Anduril is investing $3.7 billion dollars in a state-of-the-art shipyard that will be known forever as Arsenal-2," Trump said.

The president said the shipyard will build next-generation American submarines on the site, including autonomous submarines, torpedo tubes, and critical components for the Virginia-class attack submarines. The Navy is also contributing $2.9 billion to help develop the shipyard.

"This massive project will create over 3,100 new jobs right here in Maryland and will support an additional 11,000 jobs across the nation," he said.

The president said workers at Sparrows Point will lead the way into a "golden age of shipbuilding" for the United States.

"When you come back [here] in two years, you're not going to believe what you see," he said. "Generations ago, these grounds hummed with the sound of hammers and saws carving out some of the most beautiful wooden ships. ... Now, with the men and women of Anduril, the workers of Maryland, and the warriors of the U.S. Navy ... this place will roar with the sound of high-tech manufacturing, building ships and submarines. "

Hegseth said the new shipyard will be an integral part of the arsenal of freedom initiative to rebuild the U.S. military industrial base.

"In order to make America great again, you need to make your Navy great again," Hegseth said. "You need to make shipbuilding great again, our manufacturing great again, our defense industrial base strong and robust again."

The secretary said the president has been consistent since his first day in office about what is needed from the military, and that he has worked to make that happen.

"From day one, President Trump has demanded from the War Department speed, scale and urgency to build an arsenal of freedom befitting our warriors and considering the threats of the 21st century," he said. "That's why today we're here to proudly announce construction of the largest U.S. shipyard since World War II."

In the shipyard, the president said, industrial workers of Baltimore will contribute to that arsenal of freedom for decades to come.

"With American hands, American heart and American grit, we will build the future of America's Navy right here in Baltimore, and it will be a future of peace through strength," Trump said. 

Systems Selected for JIATF 401 Directed-Energy Counter-Drone Pilot Program

Oct. 5, 2026 |

The Department of War announced the directed-energy systems selected following the Joint Interagency Task Force 401's (JIATF-401) counter-unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) directed energy pilot program, marking the next phase of efforts to expand the operational use of high-energy laser (HEL) and high-powered microwave (HPM) capabilities across the homeland.

Systems selected for the pilot include:

• AeroVironment Palletized High-Energy Laser system
• Epirus Leonidas High-Powered Microwave system
• Kord Firefly High-Energy Laser system
• Boeing Compact Laser Weapon system

"High-energy lasers and high-powered microwave systems are tools that can be effectively used in a layered drone defense," said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF 401. "This pilot program will test these capabilities in an operational environment so we can understand how best to integrate and sustain them to defend the homeland."

Directed by the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, the pilot will evaluate these systems' performance providing real-time data and feedback on the systems' requirements, costs, and best practices.

JIATF-401 is conducting this pilot program in close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Northern Command and the Services. Earlier this year, JIATF-401 partnered with the FAA to conduct a safety risk assessment during a live-fire HEL demonstration at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. As a result of this testing, the FAA determined that the system posed minimal risk to the National Airspace System and established a framework for continued coordination.

"There is no silver bullet, or one size fits all solution to countering the threat of drones," Ross said. "Directed energy gives commanders another option within a layered defense, complementing existing counter-UAS capabilities with a scalable, safe, and effective way to respond to drone threats. This pilot program will give us vital information in a real-world environment so we can employ these systems to protect the homeland."

While these systems represent the first capabilities selected for the pilot program, the DoW and JIATF-401 will continue to evaluate additional directed-energy technologies. In December, the Department will host a directed-energy shoot-off at Dugway Proving Ground to assess additional high-energy laser and high-powered microwave systems to identify promising capabilities for future operational use.

DoW and U.S. Navy Announce Contract With Raytheon to Accelerate Standard Missile-6 Production

Oct. 1, 2026 |

Today, the Department of War announces a U.S. Navy award of $24.4 billion to Raytheon, an RTX business, to accelerate production of the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), a critical anti-air and anti-surface warfare munition. This five-year agreement, with two additional option years, will drive faster production, increase manufacturing throughput, and deliver significant cost savings across the defense industrial base.

"Our mission is to ensure our warfighters never enter a fair fight," said Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. "This multi-year award locks in the magazine depth and lethal dominance our forces need to prevail, while demanding our industrial base produce at war-speed."

This agreement, coupled with the recent Tomahawk weapon system award, provides the defense industry with the long-term predictability needed to expand workforce capacity and secure critical supply chains. Together, these strategic investments ensure our warfighters remain equipped with the advanced capabilities required to maintain global maritime superiority.

About the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment:
The Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S) equips the Joint Force and Allies with secure, resilient, and decisive capabilities. Driven by an unwavering commitment to the warfighter, A&S executes a portfolio-driven strategy to field advanced technologies at speed and scale. By accelerating acquisition and modernizing critical infrastructure, A&S is actively rebuilding the Arsenal of Freedom and securing our nation's enduring military advantage against any pacing threat.

Department of War's Critical Technologies Office Partners With In-Q-Tel to Accelerate Technology From Non-Traditional Performers to the Warfighter

Oct. 2, 2026 |

The Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (R&E), through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies (CT), has announced an agreement to partner with the Central Intelligence Agency and In-Q-Tel (IQT), a not-for-profit strategic investor that has served the national security community since 1999.

The partnership gives the Department's research and engineering enterprise structured access to IQT's global technology-scouting platform and its portfolio of early-stage companies, with the explicit objective of compressing the timeline to transition and rapidly field mature commercial solutions from non-traditional performers to the warfighter.

The Department of War has mandated six Critical Technology Areas (CTAs) as the focus of its investment and transition efforts: Applied Artificial Intelligence, Biomanufacturing, Contested Logistics Technologies, Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance, Scaled Directed Energy, and Scaled Hypersonics. Under the agreement, IQT will conduct technology scouting and technical due diligence across all six CTAs, as well as across enabling technology areas, while the Department identifies transition sponsors and pathways for validated technologies.

"In a contested global threat environment, technological superiority will not be determined by who invents a capability first, but by who delivers it to the warfighter fastest. The Department is fundamentally shifting its posture: we are moving from acting solely as a long-cycle technology developer to operating as an agile, credible, and rapid customer for America's most innovative non-traditional performers. Our partnership with In-Q-Tel eliminates bureaucratic friction across our six CTAs. Over the next 12 months, our benchmark for success is simple and unambiguous: moving validated commercial prototypes out of the lab and into active operational field evaluations with our combatant commands," said Hon. Michael Dodd, Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies.

The integration leverages In-Q-Tel's proven venture capital methodology to vet early-stage commercial solutions that align directly with the Department's urgent mission requirements. By combining CT's strategic transition pathways with IQT's deep-tech scouting infrastructure, the partnership aims to significantly de-risk the integration of commercial hardware and software for national security applications, signaling to the commercial tech sector that the Department of War is open for business.

Joint pilot programs under this new partnership will begin in the coming weeks, targeting immediate battlefield bottlenecks. By aligning IQT's venture ecosystem with the Department's rapid transition pipelines, both organizations aim to establish a permanent bridge that converts commercial ingenuity into deployed military capability at the speed of relevance.

Department of War Champions 'Brilliant at the Basics' for Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Oct. 1, 2026 |

Arming warfighters, workforce, and industry partners with actionable cyber defense practices to strengthen security posture and safeguard the mission.

The Office of the Chief Information Officer today launched the Department of War's "Brilliant at the Basics" campaign for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The monthlong initiative reinforces core cybersecurity fundamentals across both Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) environments to provide best practices for navigating an evolving threat landscape while maintaining a decisive digital edge.

"Cybersecurity starts with the basics," said Honorable Kirsten Davies, Department of War chief information officer. "This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we are sharing foundational, actionable steps for our warfighters, civilian workforce, and defense industrial base partners to protect our technology ecosystem, both IT and OT. As we pursue innovative technologies, and reintegrate our industrial base, we must also maintain strong cyber fundamentals that protect our people, systems, and mission. Being 'Brilliant at the Basics' is not just a slogan; it is a mission imperative."

The campaign will deliver daily posts, actionable tips, and practical resources structured across four weekly themes:

• Be Aware: Understand digital environments and identify vulnerabilities across connected IT networks, OT infrastructure, and government-furnished equipment.
• Be Vigilant: Practice proactive security measures including strong authentication, credential hygiene, and anti-phishing tactics to reduce cyber risk.
• Be Secure: Protect mission-critical data and systems by reducing internet-facing systems, encrypting connections, patching, and ensuring only authorized equipment connects to defense networks. 
• Be Connected: Champion a culture of collective defense by promptly reporting suspicious cyber activity and promptly responding to cyber tasking orders.

Recognizing that small, medium, and nontraditional businesses drive critical innovation for our warfighters, the campaign provides tailored guidance and accessible resources directly to DIB partners. The initiative will also spotlight low-cost and no-cost cybersecurity support programs that align with the IT and OT best practices issued by the Department in July 2026 to support the hardening of the Department's broader industrial base.

For more information, daily campaign updates and event schedules, follow the official DoW CIO social media channels and the CIO's website at dowcio.war.gov.

Government AI Models Advancing, Increasing Productivity

Sept. 30, 2026 | By David Vergun, Pentagon News |

The War Department is working with industry partners to deploy the latest and greatest American artificial intelligence models and platforms, officials said today during GenAI.mil Excite Day at the Pentagon. 

Some 1.7 million users are currently using artificial intelligence within the department, said Deya Banisakher, acting director for Frontier AI at the Chief Digital Artificial Intelligence Office and program manager for GenAI.mil.

Banisakher and others spoke today during GenAI.mil Excite Day at the Pentagon. 

Some 1.7 million users are currently using artificial intelligence within the department, Banisakher said. Everyone with a common access card can access Google's Gemini, Starshield AI's Grok for Government and OpenAI's ChatGPT Mil. 

"We've recently gotten closer and closer to parity with commercial models and platforms, where we started releasing models on the same day as public releases," Banisakher said. 

The models are increasing productivity throughout the department.  

"People are able to research, summarize and extract information from droves of data that they previously couldn't do," he said, adding that AI is saving billions of man-hours. 

Warfighters can code applications on the fly. It's aiding graphic designers, operations research, acquisition and finance professionals, as well as warfighters across the services, he said. 

For example, within the Navy, Banisakher said a project would take developers two to three years to code manually, costing upward of $10 million. However, three Navy developers recently used GenAI.mil to modernize that coding in 30 days. 

The goal is to accelerate AI adoption throughout the department by putting the right tools and platforms in warfighters' hands and plugging into their workflows at all classification levels. 

The next step will be putting AI on the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network and on the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System. 

Jonathan Buchanan, the authorizing official for the GenAI.mil platforms, said the three AI platforms soft-launched to ensure they could be scaled for the department and be monitored for security and performance.  

"I think we're just scratching the surface with what is totally possible with these platforms. I feel like we are headed in a very good trajectory with how these platforms directly affect the warfighter and the capabilities that will bring to bear in the future," he said. 

Gerard Connolly, a Starshield AI Grok for Government technician, said that as large language model databases improve over time, AI will become even more useful and powerful. 

Grok focuses on four things, Connolly said. It can create teams and share work. Automations in Grok have been trained to do certain tasks and provide timely updates. Grok's projects mode lets teams upload files, collaborate within a workspace and train others on those files. The AI platform's skills mode rapidly generates recurring administrative documents like executive summaries and battlefield updates. 

More than 300,000 people in the department have been using Grok since it launched last month, and Connolly said he expects that number to rise. 

ChatGPT Mil launched concurrently and is seeing similar numbers. 

"We are excited because that tells us that the users are not only sort of onboarding but are staying, and they're finding value in the product that we have," said Jonathan Bal, lead for the War Department portfolio at OpenAI. 

Bal added that as AI is integrated into workflows, the hope is that it accelerates warfighter productivity. 

Gemini for Government, which launched in December 2025, was the first AI platform deployed throughout the department. Joshua Marcuse, director of defense strategy at Google Public Sector, said the workforce uses it for tasks such as coding, designing chips, recruiting, hiring, promotions, retention, finance, cybersecurity and detecting insider threats. 

Marcuse said national security is a passion for people at Google Public Sector, adding, "We're so proud to serve this mission." 

Army Nears Crucial Brain Health Testing Milestone

Sept. 30, 2026 | By Joe Lacdan, War Media Activity |

About 97% of soldiers have used the Neurocognitive Assessment Tool, helping medical professionals combat the effects of blast overpressure and low-level blast exposure, the Army's top leader overseeing safety and occupational health said.

"It demonstrates our commitment to cognitive safety, medical readiness and warfighting capability," said Jordan Gillis, the assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment.

The War Department established the NCAT as a required cognitive baseline assessment to monitor and track soldiers' brain health and support recovery from traumatic brain injuries.

Soldiers in impacted career fields, including those operating heavy weapons systems such as field artillery, combat engineers and explosive ordnance disposal technicians, must take the assessment under a War Department directive.

Troops in these fields must take the assessment upon entering the military, before deployment and following an injury or suspected concussion. The Army requires soldiers in high-risk military occupational specialties to complete the assessment annually and for all soldiers to take the test every three years.

According to studies published by the National Institutes of Health, continuous exposure to blast shockwaves has been linked to traumatic brain injuries.

As the Army's designated agency safety and health official, or DASHO, Gillis oversees the Army's safety and occupational health program.

The NCAT is part of a broader overpressure program that the Army will soon publish in a servicewide directive, he said. The core tenets of the program include hazard assessment, risk assessment and exposure tracking, risk mitigation, cognitive monitoring, information management, illness and injury reporting, and training and education.

The Army identified blast overpressure and low-level blast exposure as critical occupational safety and health hazards.

"It affects everyone differently," Gillis said. "The takeaway is we are trying to take care of soldiers and monitor their health. And if there is an impact, we'll be able to treat them."

Soldiers from across the force — active duty, Army National Guard and Army Reserve — must complete the NCAT; they began taking it in 2024. To further set an example for soldiers, Gillis recently took the test himself at the Pentagon Special Missions Auxiliary Clinic.

"This was the perfect time to be wearing both my DASHO hat and my Army Reserve hat and to meet the requirement that I have in the reserve [component] but also set the example for everyone across the force," he said.

Gillis, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, serves as a field artillery officer, which places him in the high-risk category for blast overpressure effects.

During his years on active duty, he suffered injuries while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, for which he received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal. He knows firsthand the impact of exposure to heavy weapons fire and improvised explosive devices.

"I am from the era of soldiers who grew up in the height of the global war on terror, and many of us were exposed to blast overpressure through things like IED attacks," Gillis said. "I myself experienced several IED attacks, and so I believe from personal experience that this is important to do."

Gillis said managing soldier cognitive health and preventing potential traumatic brain injury and side effects remains a top readiness priority.

"[The NCAT] is an important part of taking care of soldiers, but what this does is, it sets a baseline for reaction times and for memory," he said. "By establishing a baseline for all soldiers, we're able to monitor brain health, as well as … let medical providers help with treatment, if required."

Robotics Competition Winners Advance Military Exploration of Humanoid Capabilities

 Sept. 29, 2026 | By Eleanor Kent, Army FUZE |

The Army named five companies as winners of its xTechHumanoid competition Sept. 11, capping an effort to assess how emerging commercial humanoid technologies could contribute to future military operations.

As the Army looks to robotics and autonomy to reduce soldier exposure to dangerous and physically demanding tasks, preserve combat power and give commanders more options, humanoid systems represent a growing area of exploration. That work extends across the joint force through the Humanoid Community of Collaboration, which was established in December 2023 to advance the technical development and operational integration of humanoid capabilities. 
 
The competition was a partnership between HCoC and the Army FUZE xTech program, which scouts and accelerates dual-use technologies that directly enhance soldier readiness and mission success. 
 
They launched xTechHumanoid to identify promising commercial approaches and establish a technical baseline for an emerging capability area. The competition offered Army and joint force stakeholders a direct look at the maturity of technologies in development across the commercial humanoid robotics market. 
 
"Humanoid robots are part of a broader autonomy push to increase the depth and breadth of robotic platforms, and [the] components industry can provide for a range of missions," said Alex Miller, the Army's chief technology officer. "We are identifying the problems, mission needs and opportunities to enable our formations with the right mix of tools. xTech is our method of surveying the industry landscape and fast-tracking promising technology rather than falling victim to yearslong studies." 
 
The competition drew 103 white paper submissions spanning baseline humanoid forms and advanced subsystem technologies. The top 10 companies advanced as finalists, with nine ultimately demonstrating their technologies for military leaders, technical experts and evaluators at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Sept. 9-10.
 
Following the demonstrations, the Army selected five xTechHumanoid winners: 

• ACES Group — an integrated power system designed to address energy needs across humanoid robotic systems with scalable energy storage technologies for applications ranging from larger operational infrastructure to individual robot batteries.  
• IHMC Robotics — "Alex," a humanoid robot featuring impact-resilient actuators, ballistic protection and hybrid autonomy combining artificial intelligence and human control for complex and dangerous missions. 
• Hydroplane Limited — a lightweight, compact mobile power-generation system designed to provide long-duration power in contested logistics environments.
• Ras Labs — highly sensitive fingertip tactile sensors designed to enable robotic systems to detect force, object form, slip and other physical interactions. 
• Velocity Explorations — software that builds on the company's command-and-control technology to translate trusted information and command intent into discrete actions for humanoid robotic systems. 

For participating companies, xTechHumanoid created a direct connection between commercial technology development and operational demand, providing opportunities to challenge their solutions, sharpen their understanding of mission needs and better identify where their capabilities could deliver military value.  
 
"The xTech competition is really an interesting and unique one because it allows you to pressure test your technology in a field exercise paradigm," said Alec Leesberg, Velocity Explorations president and cofounder. 
 
Anita Sengupta, founder and CEO of Hydroplane Limited, said competing makes companies better and connects them to a network of people across the military and the industry. 
 
With the competition complete, xTechHumanoid provides the Army and joint force a clearer picture of both the progress commercial industry has made in humanoid robotics and the technical challenges that remain, helping inform where continued development and experimentation can deliver the greatest value to the warfighter. The Humanoid Community of Collaboration is already building on those insights through its next lines of effort, including work to address power and energy constraints that could shape the operational employment of humanoid and other robotic systems.

Department of War and RTX Accelerate Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile Production Through $20.7B Award

Sept. 28, 2026 |

Today, the Department of War (DoW) announces an award to Raytheon, an RTX business, a contract that consists of a five-year multi-year contract with two option years valued up to $20.7 billion to produce Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), a critical air defense capability for U.S. and allied forces. This contract marks the latest victory in the Department's campaign to expand the munitions industrial base, nearly doubling AMRAAM production compared to previous levels.

"We are working across the defense industry to ramp production and build the Arsenal of Freedom," said Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey. "This award strengthens our ability to equip the Joint Force and our allies with a proven air-to-air capability, ensuring our warfighters maintain a decisive advantage."

Executed collaboratively by the Department of War, the U.S. Air Force, the Navy, and Foreign Military Sales allies, this joint program investment represents the latest major step to scale domestic manufacturing and fortify the security of our nation and its global partners.

The Department appreciates congressional partnership in providing multiyear procurement authority for AMRAAM and looks forward to continued support for additional authority and funding that would enable sustained production and greater certainty for the industrial base in the years ahead.

The contract was awarded Sept. 25, 2026.

About the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment:
The Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSW(A&S)) equips the Joint Force and allies with secure, resilient, and decisive capabilities. Driven by an unwavering commitment to the warfighter, A&S executes a portfolio-driven strategy to field advanced technologies at speed and scale. By accelerating acquisition and modernizing critical infrastructure, A&S is actively rebuilding the Arsenal of Freedom and securing our nation's enduring military advantage against any pacing threat.

About Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) Weapons:
Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) Weapons is a Department of the Air Force organization responsible for the design, development, production, and sustainment of a family of air-to-ground and air-to-air munitions for both U.S. and allied nations to defeat a spectrum of enemy targets.

 

DoW Approves $230 Million in Grants Under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program

Sept. 23, 2026 |

Today, the Department of War announces the award of twenty-six Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) grants from the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, totaling approximately $230 million in federal awards. DCIP is a competitive program for states, territories, and communities to undertake infrastructure enhancements to support the mission assurance of a military installation, military family quality of life, installation resiliency, and/or the training of cadets at independent "covered educational institutions," that benefits their local installations.

On August 4, 2026, the Assistant Secretary of War for Energy, Installations, and Environment instructed the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation to invite grant applications for projects based on a competitive ranking of all proposed projects in response to an April 17, 2026, DCIP Notice of Funding Opportunity.  

These awards derive from Fiscal Year 2026 appropriated funding and leverage an additional $77 million in non-federal, $43 million in other funding, for a total investment of $350 million.

"The Fiscal Year 2026 awards deliver historic funding to the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, driving critical infrastructure upgrades that directly strengthen military installations nationwide," said Mr. Dale Marks, Assistant Secretary of War for Energy, Installations, and Environment. "This year's program includes $100 million from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, helping to secure key investments to support our national security, as well as the readiness and lethality of our warfighters." 

The Fiscal Year 2026 grant awards are as follows, in alphabetical order by state: 

• A federal grant for $18,492,378 to the City of Anniston, Alabama, for a $19,092,378 project to improve the primary runway at Anniston Regional Airport in support of Anniston Army Depot. 

• A federal grant for $10,800,000 to the City of Huntsville, Alabama, for a $16,212,400 project to construct transportation access in support of Redstone Arsenal. 

• A federal grant for $8,540,886 to the City of Twentynine Palms, California, for a $8,540,866 project to construct transportation access in support of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms.

• A federal grant for $9,784,000 to the County of Monterey Department of Public Works, Facilities, and Parks, California, for a $12,004,816 project to construct transportation access in support of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hunter Liggett.  

• A federal grant for $10,948,971 to the Muroc Joint Unified School District, California, for a $11,748,479 project to construct an educational facility in support of Edwards Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $19,286,800 to the Denver Board of Water Commissioners dba Denver Water, Colorado, for a $20,163,400 project to undertake a water supply project in support of Buckley Space Force Base.  

• A federal grant for $1,686,737 to Mountain View Electric Association, Inc., Colorado, to undertake a utility upgrade in support of Schriever Space Force Base.  

• A federal grant for $9,594,409 to the Hawai'i State Department of Education, Hawaii, for a $10,350,441 project to construct recreation and community-support infrastructure in support of Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

 • A federal grant for $4,500,000 to the City of Mountain Home, Idaho, for a $5,000,000 project to construct wastewater capacity for current and future growth in support of Mountain Home Air Force Base.  

• A federal grant for $6,765,530 to the City of Burlington, Iowa, to construct a fire station in support of Iowa Army Ammunition Plant.  

• A federal grant for $3,218,359 to the Commissioners of St. Mary's County, Maryland, for a $4,597,656 project to construct pedestrian and transportation access in support of Naval Air Station Patuxent River.  

• A federal grant for $1,040,000 to the North Dakota Department of Transportation, North Dakota, for a $1,300,000 project to construct transportation improvements in support of Minot Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $10,000,000 to the City of Midwest City, Oklahoma, for a $43,073,392 project to construct a recreation facility in support of Tinker Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $12,371,947 to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Oklahoma, to undertake rail improvement in support of McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.

• A federal grant for $982,100 to the Oklahoma Industries, Oklahoma, for a $1,590,350 project to construct additional food access in support of Tinker Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $954,100 to the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, Pennsylvania, for a $1,363,000 project to rehabilitate water infrastructure that supports Harrisburg Air National Guard Base. 

• A federal grant for $20,000,000 to Douglas School District 51-1, South Dakota, for a $64,498,712 project to construct a new elementary school in support of Ellsworth Air Force Base.  

• A federal grant for $17,830,308 to the City of Corpus Christi, Texas, for a $25,471,869 project to modernize a water line corridor in support of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi 

• A federal grant for $20,000,000 to the City of San Angelo, Texas, for a $28,633,852 project to construct transportation and utility infrastructure improvements in support of Goodfellow Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $13,835,926 to San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District, Texas, for a $14,879,186 project to construct an elementary school in support of Laughlin Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $9,268,020 to Davis County Government, Utah, for a $13,268,020 project to construct transportation access in support of Hill Air Force Base. 

• A federal grant for $3,003,000 to the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, for a $4,290,000 project to upgrade wastewater infrastructure in support of Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads.

• A federal grant for $313,000 to the County of York, Virginia, for a $391,114 project to construct a pedestrian crosswalk in support of Joint Base Langley-Eustis. 

• A federal grant for $13,170,030 to the Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Virginia, for an $18,814,329 project to construct sewer infrastructure improvements in support of Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads. 

• A federal grant for $1,024,848 to Selah Fire Department/Yakima County Fire District 2, Washington, for a $1,191,198 project to construct a firefighting training facility in support of Joint Base Lewis-McChord Yakima Training Center.

• A federal grant for $2,236,500 to Spokane County, Washington, for a $3,195,000 project to construct transportation access in support of Fairchild Air Force Base. 

Groundbreaking on these projects may commence once all environmental requirements have been met.  

The Defense Community Infrastructure Program is authorized under 10 U.S. Code § 2391(d).  

Pentagon Showcases Dozens of Advanced Energy Projects

Sept. 22, 2026 | By C. Todd Lopez, Pentagon News |

On display at the Pentagon for three days are more than 100 exhibits related to energy innovation, including the Army's Tactical Microgrid Standard, the Navy's system to use microwaves to beam limitless power from space and the Air Force's Modular Energy for Tactical Expeditionary Operations Resource, or METEOR power system. 

The Energy Sentry - Pentagon: DoW's Energy Innovation Expo, which began today, showcases War Department efforts to address the modern reality that operational energy at the tactical edge and energy used to power the installations inside the United States are the same thing. 

"For too long, defense planners operated under a false construct," said Dale R. Marks, the assistant secretary of war for energy, installations and environment. "We built a firewall between installation energy — the power running our bases at home — and operational energy — the fuel and the batteries powering our assets at the tactical edge. Today, that seam is completely gone; it's blurred into irrelevance." 

America's adversaries, Marks said, do not distinguish between a microgrid in Georgia and a generator in the Pacific. 

"They know that they don't have to defeat our warfighters on a distant battlefield if they can cripple the domestic grids that power our control centers, our logistics hubs and our deployment platforms," he said. "Our installations are warfighting platforms, and we have to treat them that way. ... If the power at home is vulnerable, our force projection is compromised before a single boot hits the ground." 

The energy expo, Marks said, showcases efforts by the department and military services to respond to the realities of energy security at home and abroad. 

"The emerging technologies showcased here ... represent the rapid, aggressive innovation designed to secure American energy dominance," he said. 

Marks highlighted four key energy focus areas within the War Department: Golden Dome for America, nuclear capabilities, space and energy superiority. 

The Golden Dome kill chain, he said, is energy-intensive, and the War Department prioritizes getting what it needs to power directed energy systems. 

"We're delivering the energy backbone for [the] Golden Dome," Marks added. "We're rapidly innovating to reduce integration risks for high-power weapon systems and advanced sensors. And if we want to deploy directed energy, high-energy microwave and advanced radar systems, we must solve the energy equation." 

Directed-energy systems lower cost per shot and increase magazine depth, but Marks said they are "power-hungry," and the War Department must meet that power demand to make the Golden Dome a success. 

"Energy is the lifeblood of the entire Golden Dome kill chain," he said. "It goes from space-based early warning sensors to ground-based radar and kinetic and non-kinetic interceptors." 

He referenced two systems that will help make the Golden Dome possible: the Army's Tactical Microgrid Standard and the Navy's Common Operational Resilience and Energy Storage. 

Nuclear Advancements 

The department is accelerating development of TRISO — tristructural isotropic particle fuel — as a commercially available fuel for advanced reactors. Marks said TRISO creates a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain that supports the Army's initiative to deploy commercially owned and operated nuclear microreactors at domestic military installations, called the Janus program, and the Air Force's Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program, called ANPI. 

"We're ensuring that we never rely on a strategic competitor for our nuclear fuel," he said. 

The department is also investing in the Versatile Autonomous Kilowatt-Class Reactor Experiment project, called VALKRE, along with NASA. The program advances development of kilowatt-class nuclear reactor technology for use on Earth and in space. 

"Project VALKRE directly supports [President Donald J. Trump's] national initiative for American space nuclear power, advancing space nuclear technologies as a national priority," he said. 

More Energy To and From Space 

"We're no longer treating space assets as static, disposable systems," Marks said. "We're building a dynamic, maneuvering orbital force. This requires space logistics and in-space refueling." 

Two technologies on display at the energy expo for providing power to space and from space include the Navy's Assured Space Power Initiative and its limitless power from space exhibit, which Marks said can deliver power to the farthest reaches of Earth. 

"By transmitting energy [wirelessly] across vast distances from space to space, space to ground [and] ground to ground, we can resupply remote sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles and isolated units," he said.  

Asserting Energy Superiority 

"If a commander on the ground does not have real-time, energy-informed decision-making capabilities, they are operating blind," Marks said. 

Tactical microgrids, vehicle-centric power systems and fast-forming microgrids, he noted, can keep operating, even when supply chains are disrupted.  

"At the installation level, we're pairing these microgrids with long-duration energy storage and ironclad cyber hardening," Marks said. "We're ensuring that our bases can stand alone and fight through any cyberattack or physical disruption." 

A Better Customer 

The War Department must do a better job of being a customer to ensure the best technology developed in the private sector can get through the "valley of death" — a difficult period in technology development between success in the lab and becoming a fully funded War Department acquisition program.  

The department, Marks said, is committed to bridging that valley. 

"We've aligned our innovation funding programs to act as a unified pipeline," he said, citing the Operational Energy Capital Improvement Fund, the Operational Energy Prototyping Fund, the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program as examples. 

"These programs ensure that energy innovation reaches the warfighter," Marks said. "It goes to the warfighter, whether the need is at the point of action or at the base that sustains it." 

The War Department must focus its limited funds on technologies that actually matter to the warfighter, he added. 

"As we streamline this process, we must hold ourselves accountable to an uncompromising standard," he said. "We're not funding science projects for their own sake. Every dollar we spend must go to the warfighter. Whenever a new technology is presented, I don't ask for a list of its theoretical capabilities; I only ask one simple question: 'Will we deploy with this?'" 

If a capability cannot be deployed, is too difficult for a soldier to use, or is too dependent on a supply chain that might not always be there, he said, then resources might need to be redirected to something the warfighter can use. 

"We're putting warfighters first," Marks said. "We're integrating our operators into the deployment process from Day 1. We're integrating our operators in development, and this is not a one-way street. This is a conversation we must have together: innovators, industry and operators."

Air Force, Japan Exercise Tsunami Evacuation Procedures

Sept. 21, 2026 | By Air Force Senior Airman James Johnson, 18th Wing |

Members of the Air Force's 18th Wing and local government officials in Okinawa, Japan, conducted a joint tsunami evacuation drill across Kadena Air Base, Sept. 19, 2026.  

Nearly 100 residents of the coastal town of Chatan traveled through the base to practice moving to higher ground under simulated disaster conditions.

Executing the exercise for the third consecutive year required close coordination among several installation agencies. The 18th Wing Command Post sent out the initial emergency alert, followed by the 18th Security Forces Squadron escorting participants across the base. 

While Chatan's shoreline faces exposure to coastal hazards, routine exercises help teams streamline entry procedures, ensuring residents can reach higher ground without delay. 

"I am deeply grateful that the training and coordination we have conducted together on a regular basis help us respond effectively when an actual emergency occurs," said Mayor Masashi Toguchi. 

The real-world importance of the training was underscored in June, when a tsunami advisory was issued, prompting base personnel to quickly open the gates so residents could evacuate to a safer location.

"This is more than just a drill or practice; it is an opportunity to prepare for the potential of having to save lives," said Air Force Col. Byron Buzan, 18th Mission Support Group commander. "We have seen the importance of practicing for this scenario firsthand." 

Situated directly between the coast and Kadena Air Base, Chatan relies on long-standing mutual-assistance protocols that allow civilians to access base gates when low-lying coastal areas become unsafe. 

With every exercise, Kadena Air Base and Chatan continue to refine their coordination and eliminate potential delays, demonstrating a shared commitment to community safety and emergency readiness that grows stronger each year.

Department of War Publishes Sixth Release of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Files on WAR.GOV/UFO

Sept. 18, 2026 |

Statement Attributable to Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell:

Today, the Department of War is publishing the sixth release of declassified and historical Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) files as part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE). The collection continues to be housed on WAR.GOV/UFO, and the Department will release additional files on a rolling basis.

The Department of War and our agency partners are actively working on the next release of UAP files. The sixth release of UAP files is available now on WAR.GOV/UFO.

Statement by Chief Pentagon Spokesman, Sean Parnell, on the Clinical Guidance for Testosterone Deficiency in the Male Service Member

Sept. 17, 2026 |

The Department remains focused on building and maintaining a ready, lethal fighting force prepared to dominate the battlefield and achieve peace through strength.

In his July 15, 2026, memorandum, "Health and Human Performance Optimization to Enhance Military Readiness," the Secretary of War directed mandatory testosterone deficiency screenings for all Service members aged 30 and older during their Periodic Health Assessments, with optional screenings available for warfighters under the age of 30.

Consistent with this memorandum, on September 17, 2026, the Director of the Defense Health Agency issued comprehensive clinical guidance to the Military Departments and medical care providers. Effective immediately, this guidance addresses male testosterone deficiency, establishing uniform screening and treatment pathways across the DHA enterprise and assigning responsibility for compliance.

By proactively identifying and treating suboptimal hormone levels, the Department continues to invest in the health of its warfighters, strengthen their performance, and maximize force readiness.

The "Clinical Practice Guideline: Testosterone Deficiency in the Male Service Member" memorandum can be found here, the "Health and Human Performance Optimization to Enhance Military Readiness" memorandum can be found here, and the "Warfighter Performance Optimization – Total Force Fitness" memorandum can be found here.

Defense Health Agency issued clinical guidance can be found here https://www.dha.mil/HHPO

Department of War Signs Framework Agreement With Lockheed Martin to Increase Production of AIM-260 JATM, Boost FMS Sales

Sept. 17, 2026 |

The Department of War, in cooperation with Lockheed Martin, today announced a new framework agreement to expand production capacity of critical next generation air-to-air missiles, the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM). This agreement is critical to ensuring long-term demand signals flow to key suppliers, allowing Lockheed Martin and the munitions supply chain to invest in manufacturing capacity, workforce, and production efficiencies.

"Speed, scale, and stability drive acquisition excellence, and these gears must turn in unison," said Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. "Today's announcement reflects our commitment to sending clear, long-term demand signals across the defense industrial base, ensuring our Warfighters receive unmatched capability exactly when and where the mission demands."

This agreement represents the latest milestone in expanding the Arsenal of Freedom under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth's joint vision. It establishes a framework for future Multi-Year Procurement (MYP) of JATM, executing congressional authority to secure the nation's highest-priority missile systems.

Executed in direct support of the Department's Acquisition Transformation Strategy, the initiative reflects close collaboration among the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Munitions Acceleration Council, the Economic Defense Unit, the Navy, and the Air Force.

Navy Awards First Production Contract for MQ-25A Stingray

Sept. 15, 2026 | By Neil Lobeda, Unmanned Carrier Aviation |

The Navy awarded a fixed-price incentive contract valued at $562 million to the Boeing Company for Lot 1 of the low-rate initial production of the MQ-25A Stingray carrier-based unmanned aircraft.

The contract provides funds for three Lot 1 Stingrays and additional funding for the advanced acquisition of long-lead components to support three Lot 2 MQ-25As; initial deliveries from Lot 1 are expected to begin arriving in 2029.

"Awarding this first LRIP contract marks a pivotal transition from development to operational reality and is a testament to the focused effort of our joint government and industry teams," said Navy Capt. Daniel Fucito, the program manager for Unmanned Carrier Aviation. "MQ-25A will deliver the advanced reach, lethality and survivability our warfighters need to outpace evolving threats and dominate the future battle space."

In May, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao announced that the MQ-25A Stingray program received approval to move into the production and deployment phase.

The MQ-25A program of record comprises 76 air vehicles, including four engineering development and manufacturing and five system demonstration test articles. Currently, seven test aircraft are in production.

As the world's first fully integrated, carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle, the MQ-25A serves as the pathfinder for the future of unmanned carrier aviation. The Stingray will provide the carrier air wing with essential organic refueling, allowing more F/A-18 Super Hornets to focus on strike missions. This will expand the wing's operational reach while preserving the service life of the aircraft, improving readiness across the Super Hornet fleet. The Stingray is also at the forefront of integrating unmanned systems alongside manned platforms within the carrier air wing, setting the stage for future advancements in naval aviation.

Deputy Secretary of War Directs Actions to Foster One Strong Industrial Base

Sept. 15, 2026 |

Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg today signed a memorandum, Fostering One Strong Industrial Base, directing the Department of War to remove the accounting, audit, and compliance barriers that have separated the companies serving the warfighter from the rest of the American economy. The memorandum and its implementation appendix set deadlines for the Department's senior leaders to open competition, confine government-unique cost accounting to the narrow set of work that requires it, and rely on the financial controls and audits companies already maintain.

For decades, the Department walled the most dynamic economy on earth off from the industrial base that serves the warfighter. The wall was built from cost accounting rules, duplicative audits, and compliance obligations that attach to entire companies rather than the work procured. It was built to control contractor costs; instead it limited who competes and raised prices. The memorandum moves the Department from government-unique Cost Accounting Standards to the accounting every American company already uses – Generally Accepted Accounting Principles – and pushes those benefits to every tier of the supply chain.

"Selling to the Department of War should be a line of business, not a corporate identity. Our nation's greatest strength is its private sector, and our defense industry must harness and mimic it – unleashing industry first, and protecting taxpayers by confining our most burdensome oversight tools to the narrow set of work that genuinely demands them," said Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg. "Transparency and partnership runs both ways: the Department opens its buying to market forces, pays fair prices with honest margins, and in exchange industry shares, when asked, the cost and pricing information it already keeps."

The memorandum governs how the Department requests and uses contractor cost and pricing information and is the next step in the Warfighting Acquisition System reforms the Secretary of War directed on November 7, 2025. It implements Executive Order 14402, which makes fixed-price contracts the default and cost-reimbursement the exception, and carries forward the August 18, 2026 direction on supplier transparency so that contracting officers can see through the prime to its suppliers when needed – and connect those suppliers to Office of Strategic Capital loans, Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment funds, and the Department's business operators. Where there is a market – competition, comparable sales, reliable price history – the Department will rely on the market to set the price. Where no market exists, the Department will rely on cost, drawing on the cost and pricing information companies already keep, with no new accounting systems or special data formats required. Information industry provides is used only for authorized Government purposes and is never made available to another company for its own use.

Three objectives drive the change:

•     Compete continuously for speed and volume. Carry several performers to production, send real orders to those who deliver, and keep future opportunities open.

•     Attach rules to contracts, not companies. One award that carries an oversight regime must not force a company to remake itself. No company should be barred from this market, or trapped in it, by government-unique requirements.

•     Audit only what matters, only when risk exists, and never twice. Rely first on the independent audits companies already pay for; reserve government-unique oversight for high-risk work where the Department has no alternative.

Actions directed in the appendix include:

• a Department proposal to the Cost Accounting Standards Board to make exemption the default and confine coverage to cost-based development contracts awarded without adequate competition
• immediate use of the higher cost-accounting thresholds enacted in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act;
• senior-level approval before any acquisition strategy brings a new business unit under full coverage;
• commercial product and service determinations within 15 business days;
• simplified, commercial-aligned business-system criteria with acceptance of independent public accounting firm certification in place of separate government review;
• risk-based audit rules;
• expanded use of other transactions and advance market commitments;
• and profit policy under which negotiated margins reflect value delivered, risk carried, and private capital invested – not merely cost incurred.

No new organization or compliance framework will be created, and implementing guidance may not add requirements beyond the memorandum and applicable law.

The memorandum and its implementation appendix are available here. Information for companies seeking to do business with the Department is available at business.defense.gov.

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."