More than 30 entities will spend about $10 billion in defense technologies, research and development and job creation, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday at the inaugural Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit in Carlisle.
Companies investing in operations across Pennsylvania include Lockheed Martin, JPMorgan Chase, Hanwha, Kratos and General Dynamics. They will focus on shipbuilding, munitions, artificial intelligence and robotics, supporting over 4,000 jobs, Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Penn., said in a press release.
The individual announcements align with the “Arsenal of Freedom,” a blueprint to rebuild the defense industrial base under the Defense Department’s New Acquisition Transformation strategy. The investment also backs Trump’s “peace through strength” agenda to rebuild the U.S. military and address global threats.
Pennsylvania ranks seventh among all states in DOD contract value at $20.7 billion between July 14, 2025 and July 14, 2026, according to defense economic research firm MilitarySpend.
That number is increasing to more than $34 billion since Trump returned to the White House, McCormick said during his remarks at the defense symposium Wednesday.
Still, the senator said that more effort will be required from industry, academia and Congress to strengthen and improve the defense industrial base.
“Winning will require a broader team: traditional technology innovators, energy, and AI builders, skilled tradesmen,” McCormick said. “We don't have enough skilled tradesmen, and the schools that train them. And it'll also require state and federal agencies to work hard and work hand in hand.”
