Hegseth Demands Firms Speed Weapons Development or Fade Away (1)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth challenged major US defense contractors to speed up weapons development or “fade away” in a speech Friday before an audience of executives from major industry players and newer entrants such as Anduril Industries Inc.

“These large defense primes need to change, to focus on speed and volume and invest their own capital to get there,” Hegseth said in a speech at the National War College. “If we do that, the Department of War is, of course, big time supportive of profits. We are capitalists, after all. But if they do not, those big ones will fade ...