Star Trek: The Next Generation - S1E21 - The Arsenal of Freedom - Intro

Hegseth Brings 'Arsenal of Freedom' Tour to Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth F-35 Plant

Hegseth Brings 'Arsenal of Freedom' Tour to Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth F-35 Plant


by Fort Worth Inc. Staff

Jan. 12, 2026

5:45 p.m.



Lockheed Martin


Speaking on the factory floor in front of a newly completed F-35, Hegseth thanked the more than 600 employees in attendance for their role in equipping the U.S. military.

Lockheed Martin on Monday welcomed U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to its F-35 Lightning II production facility in Fort Worth as part of his nationwide Arsenal of Freedom Tour, a visit that highlighted the company’s central role in U.S. defense manufacturing and a record year for the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft.

Hegseth toured the F-35 final assembly line, met with Lockheed Martin executives, and addressed more than 600 employees inside the sprawling North Texas facility, which employs roughly 19,000 workers. The Fort Worth plant is the sole final assembly site for the F-35 and anchors a national supply chain of more than 1,900 suppliers, over half of them small businesses.

“I’m looking out into an incredible audience of Americans here who are committed to an incredible company that’s building incredible platforms,” Hegseth told employees. “Thank you for accepting and grasping the challenge of President Trump as well as our department. We are shoulder to shoulder with you because we can’t deter the next conflict without the skills and capabilities you have.”