Fort Wayne, Ind. – This week, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) hosted the 4th Annual Northeast Indiana Defense Summit Featuring Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, and defense industry leaders from across Indiana.
MEDIA ROUNDUP:
IndyStar: ‘Woke and Weak’: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Speaks at Jim Banks’ Indiana Defense Summit
- “Hegseth’s visit to Fort Wayne comes as Indiana looks to expand its defense industry. Indiana is home to the third largest naval base in the world in Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane and Fort Wayne’s own L3Harris Technologies is helping the Department of War build a missile defense system called the ‘Golden Dome.’”
The Journal Gazette: US Secretary of the Navy: Indiana will provide industry to retool US Navy
- “U.S. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan said Wednesday that Indiana will be essential to modernizing the military branch.”
- “Phelan told Indiana defense industry leaders that they are key to retooling the fleet”
- “‘America’s Navy doesn’t start at sea,’ he said. ‘It starts here where you make things.’”
- “The Navy is investing in every level of manufacturing, Phelan said, to ensure Marines and sailors are the safest and most prepared they can be when conflict arises. Indiana will be a key factor in that.”
- “‘That’s where manufacturing powerhouses like Indiana come in,’ he said. ‘You’re the quiet giants of America’s advanced industrial pace. Your machine shops, foundries and innovation hubs produce the materials and components that make our submarines silent, our ships survivable and our sailors and marines unstoppable.’”
WANE: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses defense summit in Fort Wayne
- “Secretary of the Navy John Phelan called Indiana the ‘quiet giant’ of the defense industryand said the future depended on people who manufacture things, imploring Indiana companies to continue growing both their workforce and capacity.”
12 WBOY: Northeast Indiana Emerges as Nexus of America’s Defense Industry
- “As national defense leaders, policymakers, and industry executives convene in Fort Wayne for the 4th Annual Defense Summit, Northeast Indiana is reaffirming its role as one of the center of innovation and production in America’s defense ecosystem.”
- “Home to major defense and aerospace employers including L3Harris, BAE Systems, Raytheon, and Ultra Electronics, Northeast Indiana companies are at the forefront of designing and producing the advanced technologies that keep America safe—ranging from encrypted radios and tactical vehicles to advanced sensors, command and control systems, and components for space and missile defense.”
- “Since 2020, businesses in the region have been awarded nearly $2.5 billion in Department of Defense contracts, reflecting the federal government’s growing confidence in the region’s ability to deliver critical capabilities faster and more efficiently than anywhere else in the country.”
- “With more than 95,000 skilled manufacturing workers and 4,500 engineers, Northeast Indiana delivers high-quality innovation at lower cost to taxpayers. The region also benefits from proximity to six of the nation’s top 15 engineering schools—within 225 miles—and graduates more than 10,000 students annually through the Northeast Indiana Colleges and Universities Network, ensuring a robust pipeline of defense and aerospace talent.”
WBOI: SecDef visits Fort Wayne to address local defense Contractors
- “Fort Wayne has a long history of manufacturing and innovation in the defense industry, from companies such as BAE Systems to L3Harris, which is involved in Trump’s missile shield program.”
- “Banks spoke of the region’s deep ties to the defense industry—including L3Harris, which is involved in Trump’s space-based missile defense system. Other companies, such as Ultra Maritime, in Columbia City, provide technology to the U.S. Navy.”
- “Banks recognized a number of leaders in the defense industry in his opening remarks, andpredicted Indiana would have a growing role to play in the ‘modernization’ of the U.S. military.”
WOWO: Hegseth: Warrior Ethos, Innovation, Readiness Key to U.S. Defense
- “Highlighting Indiana’s critical role, Hegseth pointed to NSA Crane, the nation’s third-largest naval installation, as a hub for innovation in drone warfare, hypersonics, and microelectronics. ‘Crane embodies the warrior ethos committed to unwavering dedication and readiness in the face of any challenge,’ he said.”
- “Hegseth praised Senator Banks for his support, saying, ‘You learn real quick in Washington who your real friends are…Senator Banks is an incredible ally who we know we can call when tough decisions have to be made.’”
- The summit focused on strengthening America’s defense industrial base, supporting warfighters, and ensuring the United States remains the strongest military power in the world.
21ALIVE NEWS: Hegseth addresses Northeast Indiana defense contractors about military prioirites
- “Northeast Indiana is home to major national security manufacturers including L3Harris, Raytheon and BAE Systems.”
- “Hegseth mentioned new initiatives that could affect local defense contractors. ‘We are only going to do business with industry partners that share our priority on speed and volume above all else. We are willing to surge American made, American made, manufacturing at the speed of ingenuity to deliver rapidly and reliably for our war fighters,’ he said.”
- “Banks said the visit was beneficial for the state. ‘For the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to come and learn more about what we’re already doing in Fort Wayne and Indiana, it’s really good for our state to create more jobs and do even more on the defense front,’ Banks said.”
WIBC: War and Navy Secretaries Praise Indiana Defense Role
- “President Trump is rebuilding and remaking the U.S. military into the world’s strongest fighting force,” Banks said. ‘Secretary of War Hegseth is leading the effort daily to achieve peace through strength.’”
- Hegseth added that President Trump has injected “good ol’ fashioned Indiana common sense” back to the Pentagon’s approach.”
- “Secretary Phelan focused on the urgency of naval readiness, describing the state as the ‘quiet giant’ of the defense industry. He warned that the world demands a “combat credible naval force,” especially as ‘China’s unprecedented military buildup’ poses a direct threat.”
- “[Sec. Phelan] implored Indiana manufactures to continue growing their workforce and capacity, saying that the state is a ‘key engine room’ for advanced systems used by the Navy, including at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane, which is in Crane, Indiana.”
Daily Caller: Sen. Banks Pins Long-Deserved Purple Heart on Iraq Veteran After Nearly Two Decades
- “Republican Indiana Sen. Jim Banks presented the Purple Heart to former Army National Guard Specialist Robert Drudy on Tuesday, almost 20 years after his injury in the line of duty.”
- “Banks presented him the award alongside Fort Wayne, Ind. Mayor Sharon Tucker on Veterans Day at the fourth annual Northeast Indiana Defense Summit.”
- “From time to time, we hear about mistakes that the military has made, recognitions that weren’t properly given, and we do everything that we can on team Banks to make sure that we right those wrongs and make up for it,” Banks said in his remarks. “I couldn’t be prouder that today we get to provide this Purple Heart to Fort Wayne resident and former Army Specialist Robert Drudy.”
- The fourth annual Northeast Indiana Defense Summit kicked off in Fort Wayne, not with one of its premier speakers like President Trump’s Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, but with a little-known local man, crowned as a hero.
21ALIVE NEWS: Army Veteran awarded Purple Heart during Northeast Indiana Defense Summit
- An Army veteran was presented with a Purple Heart during the Northeast Indiana Defense Summit on Tuesday.
- Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker presented him with the award. Banks said it was “an incredible honor” to present Drudy with the award.
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