FORT WORTH, Texas. Lockheed Martin welcomed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to the Fort Worth, Texas, F-35 Lightning II production facility on January 12, 2026. The visit was part of the secretary’s Arsenal of Freedom industry tour and underscored Lockheed Martin’s role in accelerating acquisition transformation and delivering critical capabilities to the warfighter.
During the tour, Hegseth toured the F-35 assembly line, met with Lockheed Martin leaders and addressed more than 600 of the 19,000 Fort Worth employees.
“I’m looking out into an incredible audience of Americans here who are committed to an incredible company that’s building incredible platforms,” Hegseth said. “Thank you for accepting and grasping the challenge of President Trump as well as our department. Thank you all so much for what you do, for why you’re doing it. We are shoulder to shoulder with you because we can’t deter the next conflict without the skills and capabilities you have.”
Over 1,900 suppliers across the United States, more than half of which are small businesses, contribute to the F-35 supply chain. Propelled by the strength of American manufacturing, annual F-35 production is running at a pace five times faster than any other allied fighter currently in production, underscoring the program’s scale and maturity.
“The F-35 is the most advanced multi-mission fighter jet in the world as clearly shown in many recent and successful military engagements around the world. Our U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine F-35 pilots, along with those of our allies, ensure air superiority when they take to the skies, and are critical contributors to President Trump’s strategy of peace through strength,” said Jim Taiclet, Chairman, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin.
“It was an honor to host Secretary of War Hegseth during his visit to our F-35 production operation in Fort Worth, Texas, and introduce him to members of our amazing workforce who in 2025 delivered a record number of 191 fighter jets. Every one of our 19,000 employees at the Fort Worth plant, and many more at our own and our suppliers’ factories around the country, are totally dedicated to building these jets faster and more efficiently. It was great to hear their dedication and excitement in speaking to Secretary Hegseth about their work during our visit.”
Beyond aircraft production, the company announced a landmark framework agreement with the U.S. Department of War last week to rapidly accelerate the production and delivery of PAC-3® Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors – the first example of the Acquisition Transformation Strategy being put into action.
