Secretary of War Pete Hegseth arrived in Denver, known as the ‘Mile High City,’ on Thursday to meet with representatives from two commercial space firms, True Anomaly and Sierra Space, as part of the War Department’s Arsenal of Freedom tour. The tour, launched seven weeks ago, aims to highlight the importance of revitalizing America’s defense industrial base and ensuring the nation’s workforce is equipped to meet future security challenges.

Emphasizing Innovation in Space Security

Hegseth first addressed approximately 150 employees at True Anomaly, a defense technology company specializing in space security and superiority. During his remarks, Hegseth praised the company’s role in reinvigorating the American industrial base, which he claims has become sluggish in recent years.

‘You guys are the engineers, the builders, the designers [who will] put those systems in the hands of warfighters,’ Hegseth said. ‘We quite literally can’t deter that next conflict without companies like True Anomaly.’

Hegseth emphasized that while large defense contractors have contributed significantly to the industrial base, the War Department cannot continue to rely solely on a handful of long-standing companies. ‘We have to open the aperture and ensure that scrappy companies that have great ideas and the best and brightest [personnel] are able to compete on a level playing field,’ he said.

Strategic Importance of Space in Military Conflicts

Hegseth then traveled to Sierra Space, a large aerospace company focused on building advanced space infrastructure. He addressed about 250 employees and stressed the growing strategic importance of space in both current and future military conflicts.

‘For generations, the battle was fought on land, in the air and subsea. But today, the ultimate high ground — the single most decisive battlefield of this century and centuries to come — is hundreds of miles above our heads,’ Hegseth told the crowd.

He added that in Colorado, the company is ‘forging the instruments of absolute and unquestioned space dominance, which is what we require.’

Hegseth reiterated the core principles of President Donald J. Trump’s agenda — putting America and Americans first, maintaining peace through strength, and embracing common sense — as they relate to revitalizing the industrial base.

‘[America and Americans first] means we protect your jobs, your security, and your family’s future before we even think about any foreign country or globalist peacekeeping project,’ he said. ‘We invest in factories in Colorado, not China.’

Regarding maintaining peace through strength, Hegseth said the department seeks to bring America’s enemies absolute deterrence, and that space is the ‘ultimate arena’ where that strength will be proven.

‘Whoever controls space, controls the future fight; it’s that simple,’ Hegseth said, adding that the War Department is investing heavily in the space domain with the passage of recent funding.

Supporting Enlisted Personnel and Industry

Before visiting the two space firms, Hegseth administered the oath of enlistment to 40 young recruits at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, a Denver suburb. He has made it a priority to conduct enlistments during each stop of the Arsenal of Freedom tour.

Hegseth explained that he wanted to prioritize conducting enlistments on the tour because it is the young men and women who are committing to serve their country that will be using the systems and capabilities the defense industrial base provides.

‘Those systems are not effective unless they have qualified, trained Americans behind them, using them properly and swiftly with violence of action,’ Hegseth said. ‘Ultimately, the men and women who volunteer to serve their country are the most potent, powerful weapon we have.’

Hegseth concluded his remarks at each stop by reminding the personnel that War Department leadership is there to support them. ‘We stand shoulder to shoulder with you, because we cannot deter the next conflict — a conflict that will ultimately be won or lost on the frontier of space — without the skill, the grit and the patriotism that I know exists in this room,’ he said.

‘Keep building, keep innovating and go fast,’ he added.