The investment is tied to more than 30 announcements from the summit on where the funds would be directed. The department said the package is aimed at advancing munitions, shipbuilding, the space domain, artificial intelligence, robotics and other emerging technologies.
“We’re here today to celebrate a colossal victory for this commonwealth and for the entire nation,” Trump said before announcing the investment. “Pennsylvania workers will build the ships, submarines, trucks, weapons and industries that ensure America remains the strongest and most powerful nation in the history of the world — we’re doing better now than [we’ve] ever done,” he added.
The announcement places Pennsylvania at the center of the administration’s effort to strengthen the defense industrial base and expand domestic manufacturing capacity. The department described that effort as part of the “arsenal of freedom,” a call to revitalize U.S. manufacturing and reenergize the national workforce.
LIVE: @POTUS and @SecWar speak during a defense and innovation summit at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa. https://t.co/Epf3eM1hq8
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) July 15, 2026
“This year we’re celebrating the 250th anniversary of American freedom, and no state has been more central to protecting that freedom than the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. … With today’s announcement, Pennsylvania will play a key role in building the arsenal of freedom to defend our nation in the modern world,” the president said.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who joined Trump during the remarks, said the summit brought together a broad group of industry and government leaders at a critical moment for defense production. “It is true to say that there has never been a moment like this, or a stage like this, where innovators, prime contractors, private equity titans of industry, labor leaders [and] defense leaders have come together for this type of moment,” Hegseth said.
“There’s never been a moment like this where the aperture has opened up inside the [War Department] for defense and [for] the second word: innovation.” Hegseth also credited Trump with making military rebuilding a priority in his second term.
“When you talk about the arsenal of freedom, this is only something a ‘builder in chief’ could unleash. … In defense, specifically, this is a generational investment in the future of our warfighting capabilities that our country has not seen since [former President] Ronald Reagan,” Hegseth said to Trump.
The department compared the current push with the Cold War-era buildup under President Ronald Reagan, citing the expansion of the Navy to 600 ships, advanced nuclear programs and modernization of conventional forces. It said Trump and the War Department are seeking $1.5 trillion for defense spending in the fiscal year 2027 budget proposal under the doctrine of peace through strength.
“This investment will fundamentally change the battlefield [and] keep the American people [safe] into the future,” Hegseth said. The announcement signals a wider effort to connect private capital, established defense contractors, labor and emerging technology firms with the administration’s plans for military modernization.
