Washington, July 16 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has announced nearly $10 billion in new investments in the country’s defence industrial base in Pennsylvania, saying the projects would create more than 4,000 jobs and strengthen America’s military manufacturing amid growing global security challenges.
Speaking at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit hosted by Senator Dave McCormick on Wednesday (local time), Trump said the investments would support the construction of ships, submarines, military vehicles, weapons and advanced defence technologies while reinforcing America’s manufacturing base.
“This afternoon, we’re announcing nearly $10 billion of new investments in our defence industrial base, right here in the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Trump said. “These investments will create more than 4,000 jobs. Pennsylvania workers will build the ships, submarines, trucks, weapons and industries that will ensure America remains the strongest and most powerful nation in the history of the world.”
The announcement brought together senior administration officials, defence executives, technology firms, private investors and labour leaders in what Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described as an unprecedented effort to modernise America’s military industrial base.
“There has never been a moment like this,” Hegseth said. “Our bureaucracy was built to keep most of you out, and we’ve been waging a war of attrition against the Pentagon bureaucracy to open up the aperture and make sure competition and speed and innovation and commercial options have a seat at the table.”
Trump also said his administration plans to seek a $1.5 trillion defence budget, arguing that the United States must accelerate military production while expanding domestic manufacturing.
Among the largest projects announced was a $2.5 billion General Dynamics investment in Rhoads Industries to support US Navy submarine construction. The company said the investment would create about 1,500 jobs in Pennsylvania.
Lockheed Martin announced plans to invest $60 million to double the size of its Archbald, Pennsylvania, facility, adding 700 jobs to expand production of missile components used in air defence systems. Company Chairman and CEO Jim Taiclet said the expansion builds on another $300 million investment recently completed at its Valley Forge operations.
Hanwha Defense USA said it would help expand shipbuilding capacity at the Philadelphia shipyard, where new radar ships will be built for US national security missions.
“Our shipyard in Korea puts out about one ship a week,” Hanwha Defense USA CEO Michael Coulter said. “We have a plan to bring that capability to Philadelphia.”
Other investments announced included robotics, artificial intelligence, energy storage, autonomous military technology and advanced manufacturing projects across Pennsylvania. Companies including Voyager Technologies, AIR, Carnegie Robotics, Fire Point Energy, Mack Defense and several defence technology firms unveiled expansion plans during the summit.
Blackstone President Jon Gray said the investment climate had accelerated dramatically since last year’s Pennsylvania summit. “We’re proud to report that we’re on track to invest over $40 billion and do it in five years,” he said, referring to the firm’s digital and energy infrastructure projects in the state.
The summit underscored the Trump administration’s emphasis on rebuilding US defence manufacturing while increasing production capacity for ships, submarines, missiles and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous systems.
The administration has argued that expanding the defence industrial base is essential to maintaining the US military’s technological edge amid increasing strategic competition with major powers.
–IANS
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