WEBVTT 00:00.899 --> 00:03.500 Peter , that is a motivated workforce 00:03.500 --> 00:05.929 right there . I love it . 00:08.890 --> 00:10.890 How are we doing today , Patriots ? 00:12.960 --> 00:15.127 Well , it is a , what a great location 00:15.127 --> 00:17.182 to wrap up the first week of what we 00:17.182 --> 00:19.670 are calling the Arsenal of Freedom tour . 00:19.959 --> 00:22.070 And this company , you right here are 00:22.070 --> 00:24.600 front and center as a part of ensuring 00:24.600 --> 00:27.020 that we build an arsenal of freedom 00:27.020 --> 00:29.353 that America needs and America deserves . 00:36.419 --> 00:38.530 Well , from visiting the shipyards of 00:38.530 --> 00:40.752 Newport News where we were earlier this 00:40.752 --> 00:42.863 week on Monday where they're building 00:42.863 --> 00:44.919 our next generation of submarines to 00:44.919 --> 00:46.919 witnessing the future of innovation 00:46.919 --> 00:49.349 right here at Rocket Lab in California , 00:49.810 --> 00:52.580 one thing is for certain , America is 00:52.580 --> 00:55.220 prepared to build again . American 00:55.220 --> 00:57.700 manufacturing is back . 01:05.019 --> 01:07.540 But this is not for show , this is for 01:07.540 --> 01:09.651 victory , a lasting victory that will 01:09.651 --> 01:12.889 secure the freedom for me , for you , 01:13.180 --> 01:15.540 for my kids , for your kids , for our 01:15.540 --> 01:17.484 grandkids . That's what it's about 01:17.484 --> 01:19.620 peace through strength . 01:26.410 --> 01:28.521 Let me tell you this , I had a chance 01:28.521 --> 01:30.799 to tour this facility just moments ago . 01:30.799 --> 01:32.521 Uh , what impressive scale and 01:32.521 --> 01:34.688 precision on the on the projects being 01:34.688 --> 01:36.354 engineered here , the sort of 01:36.354 --> 01:38.690 groundbreaking initiatives that make up 01:38.690 --> 01:40.857 the front lines of American industry . 01:40.970 --> 01:44.169 What I know and what you know is that 01:44.169 --> 01:46.870 the greatness of American manufacturing 01:47.290 --> 01:50.709 is not simply wished into existence , 01:51.410 --> 01:53.466 nor does it appear out of thin air . 01:53.466 --> 01:55.688 What exists between these walls here on 01:55.688 --> 01:58.250 Earth . And in the depths of outer 01:58.250 --> 02:02.000 space , they are forged . Forged by the 02:02.000 --> 02:04.599 labor , the expertise , and the sheer 02:04.959 --> 02:08.699 willpower of each one of you standing 02:08.699 --> 02:11.240 here . That is ultimately the entire 02:11.240 --> 02:14.720 purpose of the Arsenal of Freedom tour . 02:15.550 --> 02:17.550 To be able to look into the eyes of 02:17.550 --> 02:20.720 patriots who quite literally build our 02:20.720 --> 02:24.600 nation's firepower and to thank you for 02:24.600 --> 02:26.767 the work that you do , from the top of 02:26.767 --> 02:28.878 the office of the Secretary of War to 02:28.878 --> 02:30.822 all the uniformed members who wear 02:30.822 --> 02:33.119 camouflage on our behalf , they can't 02:33.119 --> 02:35.820 do their job . I can't do my job 02:36.039 --> 02:39.860 without the job that you do . You 02:39.860 --> 02:40.220 see , 02:48.970 --> 02:50.914 I think it's fair to say that most 02:51.389 --> 02:53.278 suited up swamp creatures , maybe 02:53.278 --> 02:55.222 that's what I am now , a suited up 02:55.222 --> 02:57.445 swamp creature . But most in Washington 02:57.445 --> 02:59.500 DC could never imagine a day in your 02:59.500 --> 03:02.520 shoes . See , they're the experts who 03:02.520 --> 03:04.742 like to sit back and collect a paycheck 03:04.742 --> 03:07.279 and talk about the labor that built 03:07.279 --> 03:09.335 this great country . Think tanks and 03:09.335 --> 03:11.789 white papers . They produced nothing 03:12.470 --> 03:16.059 They build nothing But you , you 03:16.059 --> 03:19.380 innovate , you iterate , you risk , you 03:19.380 --> 03:22.949 test , you build . You're the masters 03:22.949 --> 03:25.610 of , say , American carbon fiber . The 03:25.610 --> 03:27.388 builders of the very tools that 03:27.388 --> 03:30.169 guarantee our treasured freedoms . It 03:30.169 --> 03:32.002 is precisely the strength of our 03:32.002 --> 03:35.770 arsenal and our industries that will 03:35.770 --> 03:39.479 keep us free . I , along with 03:39.479 --> 03:42.000 the entire War Department , pro are 03:42.000 --> 03:44.240 profoundly grateful for the work that 03:44.240 --> 03:46.240 you do day in and day out , and I'm 03:46.240 --> 03:48.720 here on behalf of President Trump , who 03:48.720 --> 03:51.639 is equally proud and does everything in 03:51.639 --> 03:54.759 his power to support you . 03:55.679 --> 03:57.790 I'm here on behalf of a president who 03:57.790 --> 03:59.623 has from his first day in office 03:59.623 --> 04:01.880 operated on three core principles of 04:01.880 --> 04:05.619 pure , unadulterated common sense . 04:06.240 --> 04:08.679 First , that a leader's primary duty is 04:08.679 --> 04:12.259 to put America and Americans first . 04:13.240 --> 04:15.639 Second , that the surest and only real 04:15.639 --> 04:19.470 path to peace . Is through strength . 04:19.940 --> 04:22.162 And at the War Department , that is our 04:22.162 --> 04:23.996 department , we are the strength 04:23.996 --> 04:25.884 department . You are part of that 04:25.884 --> 04:27.884 strength department . And third , a 04:27.884 --> 04:30.339 nation that cannot build for itself , a 04:30.339 --> 04:32.672 nation that cannot create its own tools , 04:32.910 --> 04:35.899 its own defenses , its own 3D printers , 04:36.190 --> 04:38.769 its own future is a nation that is in 04:39.109 --> 04:41.950 managed decline . And for too long , 04:41.989 --> 04:44.350 elites on both sides of the aisle , in 04:44.350 --> 04:47.450 both parties sat idly by and accepted 04:47.670 --> 04:50.299 this backward status quo , but not 04:50.299 --> 04:52.790 President Trump . He recognized that 04:52.790 --> 04:56.309 decline is in fact a choice , a choice 04:56.309 --> 05:00.029 that we must fundamentally reject in 05:00.029 --> 05:03.089 every sense of the word . And in doing 05:03.089 --> 05:06.230 so , he has unleashed a great American 05:06.230 --> 05:09.179 revival . A reawakening of our 05:09.179 --> 05:11.359 industrial spirit and a national 05:11.739 --> 05:13.906 confidence . A new , I would call it , 05:14.019 --> 05:16.859 and he calls it a golden age for 05:16.859 --> 05:19.619 America , that all of you here are a 05:19.619 --> 05:21.299 big part of building . 05:31.529 --> 05:33.362 And as his Secretary of War , my 05:33.362 --> 05:35.585 mission is to ignite that revival . The 05:35.585 --> 05:37.739 mission has 3 core components , 3 05:37.739 --> 05:39.795 pillars that we've stood on from day 05:39.795 --> 05:41.683 one . First is we're reviving the 05:41.683 --> 05:44.017 warrior ethos within our fighting force , 05:44.179 --> 05:45.957 reminding warriors and everyone 05:45.957 --> 05:48.299 involved , our sole purpose is to be 05:48.299 --> 05:51.540 the most lethal fighting force on the 05:51.540 --> 05:53.040 planet , full stop . 06:00.540 --> 06:02.818 We're eliminating all the distractions . 06:02.818 --> 06:05.660 No more DEI , no more dudes in dresses , 06:05.779 --> 06:08.019 no more social engineering . We're done 06:08.019 --> 06:10.075 with political correctness . We just 06:10.075 --> 06:12.075 want to be correct . Our sole focus 06:12.075 --> 06:14.130 remains standards , accountability , 06:14.130 --> 06:16.352 readiness , training , discipline , and 06:16.352 --> 06:18.519 lethality . We're going back to basics 06:18.540 --> 06:21.170 as a department , as a whole . Second , 06:21.250 --> 06:23.720 we're rebuilding our military . We must 06:23.980 --> 06:26.100 and we are ensuring that the best 06:26.100 --> 06:28.339 equipment and leadership . are in the 06:28.339 --> 06:30.450 hands of our warfighters and that our 06:30.450 --> 06:32.910 warfighters are never in a fair fight . 06:33.649 --> 06:35.959 You've seen the historic $1 trillion 06:35.959 --> 06:39.250 investment in fiscal year 2026 . And if 06:39.250 --> 06:41.417 you follow him on Truth , you saw that 06:41.417 --> 06:43.528 just a couple of days ago . President 06:43.528 --> 06:45.806 Trump announced that in fiscal year 27 , 06:45.880 --> 06:49.790 his goal is to invest $1.5 trillion in 06:49.790 --> 06:51.901 America's defense industrial base , a 06:51.901 --> 06:53.950 historic investment , the largest 06:53.950 --> 06:55.989 investment in national defense our 06:55.989 --> 06:58.570 country or the world has ever seen , 06:58.790 --> 07:00.790 reminding you how invested he is in 07:00.790 --> 07:02.901 American manufacturing , how invested 07:02.901 --> 07:05.012 he is in American strength . And it's 07:05.012 --> 07:07.234 our job at the War Department to ensure 07:07.234 --> 07:09.512 that every dime of that is used wisely , 07:09.709 --> 07:11.931 that we find the savings where we can , 07:11.931 --> 07:14.042 we find the duplicitous programs , we 07:14.042 --> 07:16.320 find the bloat , the waste , the fraud , 07:16.320 --> 07:18.042 anything that isn't focused on 07:18.042 --> 07:20.153 warfighting , and we rip it out , and 07:20.153 --> 07:22.320 then we transfer that to programs that 07:22.320 --> 07:24.431 work . To companies that work so that 07:24.431 --> 07:27.500 we can scale at speed the capabilities 07:27.500 --> 07:29.910 that our warfighters need . I also 07:29.910 --> 07:32.021 don't , I'm not sure if you saw , but 07:32.021 --> 07:34.188 there was an executive order that came 07:34.188 --> 07:36.299 out just a couple of days ago as well 07:36.299 --> 07:38.466 where the president announced that big 07:38.466 --> 07:40.688 companies that are fat and happy on the 07:40.688 --> 07:42.799 vine in in Washington at the Pentagon 07:42.799 --> 07:44.966 who are used to just getting contracts 07:44.966 --> 07:47.188 automatically , that status quo is gone 07:47.188 --> 07:46.609 as well . 07:56.519 --> 07:58.686 More on that in a moment , but third , 07:58.686 --> 08:01.040 we are also re-establishing deterrence , 08:01.480 --> 08:03.591 deterrence that is so absolute and so 08:03.591 --> 08:05.591 unquestioned that America's enemies 08:05.829 --> 08:08.320 shall not , should not , will not want 08:08.320 --> 08:11.160 to test us . Under a previous 08:11.160 --> 08:13.271 administration , the world questioned 08:13.271 --> 08:15.438 American strength , whether it was the 08:15.438 --> 08:17.549 debacle in Afghanistan , the invasion 08:17.549 --> 08:19.604 of Ukraine , or the war unleashed in 08:19.604 --> 08:21.827 Israel by Hamas on October 7th , all of 08:21.827 --> 08:23.938 which would have never happened under 08:23.938 --> 08:26.160 President Trump . That era of doubt and 08:26.160 --> 08:28.779 smeared American reputation is over . 08:29.640 --> 08:31.640 Deterrence is back and the world is 08:31.640 --> 08:33.751 taking notice . A few examples , when 08:33.751 --> 08:36.000 the Houthis attacked our ships in the 08:36.000 --> 08:38.000 previous administration , they just 08:38.000 --> 08:40.222 sort of dealt with it as the new status 08:40.222 --> 08:42.820 quo . We responded with 50 days of 08:42.820 --> 08:45.729 unrelenting bombing . And our ships now 08:45.729 --> 08:49.179 sail freely and unprovoked . It turns 08:49.179 --> 08:51.346 out they did cry uncle , were prepared 08:51.346 --> 08:53.401 to cry uncle when they were met with 08:53.401 --> 08:55.290 the strength of the United States 08:55.290 --> 08:57.512 military . Since Thomas Jefferson , our 08:57.512 --> 08:59.568 ships have sailed freely on the high 08:59.568 --> 09:01.790 seas . That will remain the case . That 09:01.790 --> 09:05.429 is deterrence in action . When Iran 09:05.429 --> 09:08.309 pursued nuclear capabilities , our 09:08.309 --> 09:11.349 beautiful B-2s flew 37 hours across the 09:11.349 --> 09:14.549 world to drop 14 precision munitions 09:14.549 --> 09:16.549 exactly where they were supposed to 09:16.549 --> 09:18.630 land , all at the same time without 09:18.630 --> 09:20.950 Iran seeing us until we were out of the 09:20.950 --> 09:24.719 country . That is deterrence in action . 09:25.150 --> 09:27.372 When narco-terrorist drug cartels , the 09:27.372 --> 09:29.483 al Qaeda of our hemisphere , I'm sure 09:29.483 --> 09:31.594 all of you . Everybody's been touched 09:31.594 --> 09:33.761 by drug overdoses and the onslaught of 09:33.761 --> 09:35.983 drugs in our country , the poisoning of 09:35.983 --> 09:38.094 the American people . President Trump 09:38.094 --> 09:39.539 said no more . When those 09:39.539 --> 09:41.483 narco-terrorists send drugs to our 09:41.483 --> 09:43.428 shores to poison Americans , we no 09:43.428 --> 09:45.706 longer play the catch and release game , 09:45.706 --> 09:47.872 the cat and mouse game . We sink their 09:47.872 --> 09:50.900 boats . That is deterrence in action . 09:51.830 --> 09:53.441 When our southern border was 09:53.441 --> 09:55.608 overwhelmed by an anarchist invasion , 09:55.608 --> 09:57.774 an invasion of millions of people , we 09:57.774 --> 09:59.608 have no idea who they are coming 09:59.608 --> 10:02.260 illegally . We secured it for 7 months , 10:02.429 --> 10:05.510 zero crossings of the US-Mexico border , 10:05.710 --> 10:08.570 absolute sovereignty , that is 10:08.679 --> 10:11.799 deterrence in action . And when 10:11.799 --> 10:13.760 American justice was required in 10:13.760 --> 10:17.229 Venezuela . Nearly 200 of our best went 10:17.229 --> 10:19.989 into downtown Caracas , secured and 10:19.989 --> 10:22.289 indicted targets in their most heavily 10:22.289 --> 10:25.309 fortified military base , and returned 10:25.309 --> 10:29.289 without a single US casualty . That 10:29.630 --> 10:33.380 is deterrence in action . Because of 10:33.380 --> 10:35.324 President Trump's leadership , the 10:35.324 --> 10:37.491 world once again sees American power , 10:37.491 --> 10:39.324 American strength , and American 10:39.324 --> 10:41.750 resolve , and you hear . are at the 10:41.750 --> 10:44.369 core of building it . Everything we do 10:44.369 --> 10:46.480 is aimed at those three complementary 10:46.480 --> 10:48.849 and overlapping goals . That's why just 10:48.849 --> 10:51.016 before Christmas , I had the privilege 10:51.016 --> 10:53.127 of joining . And the Secretary of the 10:53.127 --> 10:55.349 Navy for a historic announcement of the 10:55.349 --> 10:58.109 new Golden Fleet , a generational 10:58.109 --> 11:01.760 commitment to . But a 11:01.760 --> 11:05.169 fleet today , as you know , is blind 11:05.169 --> 11:09.070 without its eyes in the sky . Dominance 11:09.070 --> 11:11.126 in the seas , on land and in the air 11:11.126 --> 11:13.659 starts , starts right here . The future 11:13.659 --> 11:15.929 of the battlefield starts right here 11:16.469 --> 11:18.429 with dominance in space . 11:28.340 --> 11:30.340 I mean , I don't know , it's common 11:30.340 --> 11:32.007 sense in today's 21st century 11:32.007 --> 11:34.007 battlefield , if we do not dominate 11:34.007 --> 11:36.173 that domain , the domain of space , we 11:36.173 --> 11:35.979 will not dominate the battlefield of 11:35.979 --> 11:38.340 the future , full stop . And I need 11:38.340 --> 11:40.820 that in the back of your mind every day 11:40.820 --> 11:42.764 as you're building that arsenal of 11:42.764 --> 11:44.653 freedom for us . The capabilities 11:44.653 --> 11:47.280 you're building are precisely the ones 11:47.500 --> 11:49.611 that we will rely on and that will or 11:49.611 --> 11:51.900 will not provide the decisive advantage 11:52.219 --> 11:54.330 should there be , should an adversary 11:54.330 --> 11:56.552 be foolish enough in the future to want 11:56.552 --> 11:58.552 to challenge us . You , what you're 11:58.552 --> 12:00.775 building here will be that difference . 12:08.780 --> 12:11.739 But for far too long a bipartisan elite 12:11.739 --> 12:13.795 consensus in Washington wanted us to 12:13.795 --> 12:16.739 believe that history was over . They 12:16.739 --> 12:18.859 outsourced our jobs , our factories , 12:18.919 --> 12:21.979 and our future for hollow promises of a 12:21.979 --> 12:24.799 so-called global economy for globalism . 12:25.419 --> 12:27.475 Well , unlike past administrations , 12:27.475 --> 12:29.586 this administration actually believes 12:29.586 --> 12:31.659 in the American worker , in American 12:31.659 --> 12:33.739 industry , and we will not allow our 12:33.739 --> 12:37.090 industrial base to rust , you see , 12:37.260 --> 12:39.770 before . We were busy policing the 12:39.770 --> 12:42.969 world , nation building in deserts , or 12:42.969 --> 12:44.969 debating pronouns in the Pentagon . 12:45.690 --> 12:47.523 While our rivals were building . 12:48.969 --> 12:50.940 Launching their own satellites and 12:50.940 --> 12:52.940 rockets , they didn't shy away from 12:52.940 --> 12:55.162 ambition to control space , and through 12:55.162 --> 12:58.080 it , their attempts to control regions 12:58.080 --> 13:01.380 and the world . Not anymore , not on 13:01.380 --> 13:04.340 our watch . Under President Trump , we 13:04.340 --> 13:06.460 recognize that we are in a historic 13:06.460 --> 13:08.516 struggle and that we're committed to 13:08.516 --> 13:10.571 coming out . There's no other option 13:10.571 --> 13:13.299 than to come out on top . That's why 13:13.299 --> 13:15.549 we're proudly calling ourselves the 13:15.549 --> 13:18.840 Department of War , not because we seek 13:18.840 --> 13:21.739 war , far from it , but we know , but 13:21.739 --> 13:23.850 because we know that in order to keep 13:23.850 --> 13:25.979 the peace you must be prepared to 13:25.979 --> 13:29.900 utterly and decisively win in conflict . 13:30.030 --> 13:33.039 Peace through strength is a real thing 13:33.460 --> 13:36.234 in a modern contested world . If your 13:36.234 --> 13:38.345 enemy thinks you have the willingness 13:38.345 --> 13:41.075 and the capability to defeat them 13:41.515 --> 13:44.075 anywhere in the world anytime on your 13:44.075 --> 13:46.234 terms , that's how you deter the 13:46.234 --> 13:49.715 conflict to begin with because peace is 13:49.715 --> 13:51.771 ultimately the goal of our president 13:51.875 --> 13:53.494 and ultimately our goal . 14:02.520 --> 14:04.520 Now , I'm looking out at one of the 14:04.520 --> 14:06.742 coolest factory floors I've ever seen . 14:06.742 --> 14:09.869 But the reality is that our American 14:09.869 --> 14:12.070 warriors , you , it's ultimately not 14:12.070 --> 14:14.126 just about platforms and factories , 14:14.126 --> 14:16.659 it's about people . People right here 14:16.659 --> 14:18.700 in front of me and our American 14:18.700 --> 14:21.219 warriors who are second to none , the 14:21.219 --> 14:23.330 best in the world and the best of our 14:23.330 --> 14:26.239 country . No matter the circumstance , 14:26.419 --> 14:29.859 our warriors exemplify the sheer guts 14:29.859 --> 14:33.099 and grit and gallantry and glory needed 14:33.099 --> 14:35.289 to sustain this nation of ours every 14:35.289 --> 14:38.400 single day . And while our American 14:38.400 --> 14:40.567 warriors are at the tip of the spear , 14:40.567 --> 14:44.450 you All of you are what sharpens them . 14:45.359 --> 14:47.470 You are the foundation of our defense 14:47.470 --> 14:50.280 industrial base , the foundation of 14:50.280 --> 14:53.070 great American manufacturers who we 14:53.070 --> 14:56.270 trust to usher in that new golden age 14:56.270 --> 14:59.619 of peace through strength . Under 14:59.619 --> 15:01.786 President Trump , the United States is 15:01.786 --> 15:03.786 deadly serious about commanding the 15:03.786 --> 15:07.380 ultimate high ground of space . A 15:07.380 --> 15:09.510 larger , more modern and more capable 15:09.510 --> 15:11.566 constellation of American satellites 15:11.566 --> 15:14.669 launched by American rockets from 15:14.669 --> 15:16.789 American soil , built by American 15:16.789 --> 15:19.989 engineers and workers will provide an 15:19.989 --> 15:21.989 undeniable deterrent . 15:31.539 --> 15:33.706 But it takes the men and women on this 15:33.706 --> 15:35.372 floor , the technicians , the 15:35.372 --> 15:37.428 machinists , the engineers , each of 15:37.428 --> 15:39.979 you , every skilled hand of Rocket Lab . 15:40.500 --> 15:43.099 You are the engine . Of the new arsenal 15:43.099 --> 15:45.266 of freedom , you are the ones who will 15:45.266 --> 15:47.432 ensure that our adversaries understand 15:47.432 --> 15:49.919 a simple and absolute truth . That 15:49.919 --> 15:52.200 America can and will , if necessary , 15:52.679 --> 15:55.659 project its will anywhere , anytime , 15:56.359 --> 15:59.289 without question . Our warfighters . 16:05.380 --> 16:07.789 But it requires the tools . And it's 16:07.789 --> 16:09.956 clear that you have truly mastered the 16:09.956 --> 16:11.956 art of the small , the fast and the 16:11.956 --> 16:14.233 responsive . Well , not just the small , 16:14.233 --> 16:16.849 but also the big . The exact opposite 16:17.669 --> 16:19.391 of what you would receive from 16:19.391 --> 16:21.225 paper-pushing bureaucrats in the 16:21.225 --> 16:23.447 Pentagon and legacy prime contractors . 16:23.739 --> 16:26.179 It's no wonder why your electron rocket 16:26.179 --> 16:28.590 has been such a success . 16:36.950 --> 16:39.117 It has and will give our warfighters a 16:39.117 --> 16:41.117 critical advantage . It's something 16:41.117 --> 16:43.117 they need no shortage of , which is 16:43.117 --> 16:44.950 tactical flexibility . You see , 16:44.950 --> 16:48.450 ultimately , I don't care what name is 16:48.450 --> 16:50.849 on the side of a missile or what name 16:50.849 --> 16:52.929 is on the side of a rocket , what 16:52.929 --> 16:55.210 company builds it , where it came from , 16:55.590 --> 16:57.534 except that it's made in America . 17:00.380 --> 17:04.180 I don't . I just want the 17:04.180 --> 17:06.579 best and I want to ensure that the 17:06.579 --> 17:08.619 competition that exists is fair and 17:08.619 --> 17:11.739 it's flat , it's based on cost , it's 17:11.739 --> 17:13.900 based on capability , it's based on 17:13.900 --> 17:15.859 scaling , it's based on flex 17:15.859 --> 17:18.150 flexibility , open architecture , 17:18.219 --> 17:20.739 innovation . The companies that can do 17:20.739 --> 17:23.500 those things in today's Pentagon will 17:23.500 --> 17:25.859 be the companies that win . Which 17:25.859 --> 17:28.380 should be motivating for every CEO and 17:28.380 --> 17:30.491 every worker in every company that is 17:30.491 --> 17:32.699 in this business because the field is 17:32.699 --> 17:35.949 wide open . And that's exactly how it 17:35.949 --> 17:37.893 should be . See , Washington plays 17:37.893 --> 17:39.949 games with lobbyists and accountants 17:39.949 --> 17:41.969 and bureaucrats . It plays games to 17:41.969 --> 17:43.989 block out new contestants , new 17:43.989 --> 17:46.569 competitors . So that's the whole point , 17:46.869 --> 17:49.869 a circular , uh , process that enriches 17:49.869 --> 17:51.925 and benefits the same people , and I 17:51.925 --> 17:54.449 have nothing against prime contractors . 17:55.079 --> 17:57.190 There are amazing companies that have 17:57.410 --> 17:59.521 provided amazing capability ships and 17:59.521 --> 18:01.410 fighters and tankers and subs and 18:01.569 --> 18:04.689 surface ships and you name it , 18:05.010 --> 18:08.130 tanks from huge companies that make 18:08.130 --> 18:10.019 great things , and I want them to 18:10.019 --> 18:12.130 continue to make those great things , 18:12.130 --> 18:14.241 but the expectation is that they will 18:14.241 --> 18:16.297 continue to make them competing with 18:16.297 --> 18:18.408 every other company in the country to 18:18.408 --> 18:20.519 ensure they're delivered under budget 18:20.519 --> 18:22.741 and on time because right now too often 18:22.741 --> 18:24.852 we're waiting for exquisite systems . 18:25.040 --> 18:27.262 That are incredible , but I'm gonna get 18:27.262 --> 18:30.420 it in 2033 . When the fight's over . 18:31.609 --> 18:33.498 We need them today , we need them 18:33.498 --> 18:35.442 tomorrow , we need speed , we need 18:35.442 --> 18:37.969 urgency . That's what the arsenal of 18:37.969 --> 18:40.369 freedom is all about . Rip out the red 18:40.369 --> 18:42.359 tape , rip out the bureaucracy , 18:42.729 --> 18:44.840 increase the speed of testing , speed 18:44.840 --> 18:47.173 of iteration , the speed of competition . 18:47.680 --> 18:49.124 And ensure that we've got 18:49.124 --> 18:51.291 predictability and long lead times and 18:51.291 --> 18:53.291 you have a sense of what the demand 18:53.291 --> 18:55.291 signal looks like , so that you can 18:55.291 --> 18:57.347 compete and every company that wants 18:57.347 --> 18:58.958 into the space can compete . 18:58.958 --> 18:59.869 Flexibility . 19:05.290 --> 19:08.560 Flexibility , speed , and deterrence . 19:09.060 --> 19:11.004 You see , more than 60 years ago , 19:11.004 --> 19:12.838 President Kennedy . Declared our 19:12.838 --> 19:14.838 nation's intent to go to the moon , 19:14.838 --> 19:16.838 something many of you know far more 19:16.838 --> 19:19.410 than I do . He famously said , we chose , 19:19.540 --> 19:21.540 we choose to go to the moon in this 19:21.540 --> 19:23.373 decade and do other things , not 19:23.373 --> 19:25.540 because they are easy , but because 19:25.540 --> 19:29.290 they are hard . Because that goal 19:29.910 --> 19:32.077 will serve to organize and measure the 19:32.077 --> 19:34.310 best of our energies and the best of 19:34.310 --> 19:37.859 our skills . This is the spirit 19:38.349 --> 19:40.571 that you are in the process of reviving 19:40.571 --> 19:42.071 right here at Rocket Lab . 19:50.140 --> 19:52.420 You've chosen this mission precisely 19:52.420 --> 19:54.849 because it's hard . But through your 19:54.849 --> 19:58.290 toil comes genuine meaning . Just look 19:58.290 --> 20:00.880 around . I spent a lot of time in 20:00.890 --> 20:02.723 offices with desks and paper and 20:02.723 --> 20:04.949 computers . Look around . The work 20:05.010 --> 20:08.040 you're doing here is , is real . It's 20:08.040 --> 20:10.170 tangible . You can feel the power and 20:10.170 --> 20:12.479 the energy radiate throughout this 20:12.479 --> 20:14.750 facility . Every satellite you build , 20:14.810 --> 20:17.010 every rocket launched , gives our 20:17.010 --> 20:19.180 warfighters the edge they need to win 20:19.520 --> 20:21.687 and then come home in victory and come 20:21.687 --> 20:23.050 home safely . 20:31.199 --> 20:33.310 I'll say on that mission in Venezuela 20:33.310 --> 20:35.421 there's a lot of things we can't talk 20:35.421 --> 20:37.569 about and there's some basic , uh , 20:37.630 --> 20:39.852 portions of the mission that are out in 20:39.852 --> 20:42.074 the public , but a lot of the things we 20:42.074 --> 20:43.963 can't talk about we're enabled by 20:43.963 --> 20:46.074 capabilities like companies like this 20:46.074 --> 20:48.241 to provide decisive advantages for the 20:48.241 --> 20:50.019 United States of America . Most 20:50.019 --> 20:52.241 Americans won't know . Most adversaries 20:52.241 --> 20:54.186 have no idea . And the point is we 20:54.186 --> 20:55.908 don't want them to . Strategic 20:55.908 --> 20:58.040 ambiguity is a very good thing . Our 20:58.040 --> 21:00.079 enemies need to be thinking what 21:00.079 --> 21:02.135 capabilities do they have ? Are they 21:02.135 --> 21:04.135 above us ? Are they around us ? Are 21:04.135 --> 21:06.190 they through us ? Do we not see what 21:06.190 --> 21:08.357 they're able to do ? And it leads them 21:08.357 --> 21:10.839 to say in their mind , not today . Not 21:10.839 --> 21:12.895 tomorrow . I don't want to challenge 21:12.895 --> 21:14.672 America today . I don't want to 21:14.672 --> 21:13.959 challenge them tomorrow and I don't 21:13.959 --> 21:16.126 want to challenge them in the future . 21:16.126 --> 21:18.790 That's the point . You see , the 21:18.790 --> 21:20.910 signals you provide save a soldier's 21:20.910 --> 21:23.569 life . The intel that guides a 21:23.760 --> 21:26.000 precision strike that saves a soldier's 21:26.000 --> 21:28.979 life . It all starts right here . 21:30.180 --> 21:32.410 Please don't forget That you were a 21:32.410 --> 21:34.890 part of that direct line from your 21:34.890 --> 21:38.489 hands to the survival and success of 21:38.489 --> 21:39.489 our warfighters . 21:44.219 --> 21:45.219 Mhm 21:48.650 --> 21:51.069 And that brings me to , to my promise 21:51.689 --> 21:53.930 and my challenge to each industry 21:53.930 --> 21:56.152 leader in this country . I've said it a 21:56.152 --> 21:58.152 little bit already , but it's worth 21:58.152 --> 22:00.263 emphasizing . The days of rewarding , 22:00.263 --> 22:02.489 rewarding the comfortable old guard for 22:02.489 --> 22:06.410 failure are finished . We will provide 22:06.410 --> 22:08.577 larger , longer , and more predictable 22:08.577 --> 22:10.743 contracts to companies like this one , 22:10.743 --> 22:13.050 companies that can actually deliver at 22:13.050 --> 22:15.890 pace and at scale . We will reward 22:15.890 --> 22:18.089 leaders who choose to invest in their 22:18.089 --> 22:21.209 workers , who expand their capacity , 22:21.489 --> 22:24.329 and who share our sense of urgency . 22:25.319 --> 22:27.280 We will reward those who choose to 22:27.280 --> 22:29.920 deploy their resources toward 22:29.920 --> 22:32.800 bolstering production , not stock 22:32.800 --> 22:36.150 buyback programs or dividends . The 22:36.150 --> 22:38.400 mission is quite simple . If you 22:38.400 --> 22:40.949 deliver for America , the government's 22:40.949 --> 22:44.109 gonna have your back . If you don't 22:44.939 --> 22:47.217 You should get in a different business . 22:47.839 --> 22:50.119 We are deadly serious about the arsenal 22:50.119 --> 22:52.459 of freedom . I hope you saw our 22:52.459 --> 22:54.449 acquisitions and and requirements 22:54.449 --> 22:56.616 transformation speech from a couple of 22:56.616 --> 22:58.782 months . We're changing the entire way 22:58.782 --> 23:01.005 the Pentagon does business in acquiring 23:01.020 --> 23:03.131 and requirements , taking things that 23:03.131 --> 23:06.280 took years , 2 to 3 to 4 years to feel 23:06.280 --> 23:09.189 down to months , the speed of the kind 23:09.189 --> 23:11.369 of . Innovation we're seeing on the 23:11.369 --> 23:13.258 battlefield right now and ongoing 23:13.258 --> 23:15.480 conflicts that are going to be required 23:15.480 --> 23:17.425 in ones we might have to fight . I 23:17.425 --> 23:19.313 mentioned the executive order the 23:19.313 --> 23:21.480 president signed , putting pressure on 23:21.480 --> 23:23.480 other companies to invest just like 23:23.480 --> 23:25.480 this company is , and of course the 23:25.480 --> 23:27.480 historic investment of 1.5 trillion 23:27.480 --> 23:29.480 going forward in the defense of our 23:29.480 --> 23:33.180 nation . So ultimately , The point of 23:33.180 --> 23:35.959 me being here . Is to thank you 23:35.959 --> 23:38.209 sincerely , look you in the eye from 23:38.209 --> 23:40.489 where we sit so that I can remember 23:40.489 --> 23:42.656 what I'm looking at right here today , 23:42.729 --> 23:45.310 every day in my seat of what I'm doing 23:45.489 --> 23:47.267 when it's easy to fall into the 23:47.267 --> 23:49.750 comfortable , the familiar , the easy 23:50.329 --> 23:52.489 process that's always existed and to 23:52.489 --> 23:54.767 remember our job is to flip the script , 23:54.930 --> 23:57.439 our job is to change the game . Our job 23:57.439 --> 24:00.040 is to disrupt a status quo which is 24:00.040 --> 24:02.760 insufficient to ensuring we have the 24:02.760 --> 24:05.239 American manufacturing base that is 24:05.239 --> 24:07.680 required to be the world's superpower . 24:16.810 --> 24:18.810 So thank you for delivering when it 24:18.810 --> 24:22.000 counts . We are counting on you . We're 24:22.000 --> 24:24.111 counting on your undeniable skill and 24:24.111 --> 24:26.479 patriotism . Be proud of what you are 24:26.479 --> 24:28.959 doing on the front lines , forging our 24:28.959 --> 24:32.119 nation's industrial future . We have 24:32.119 --> 24:34.270 your back . And we know that you have 24:34.270 --> 24:36.739 ours as well . And together we will 24:36.739 --> 24:39.180 restore our nation's strength . And 24:39.180 --> 24:42.849 guarantee peace for generations to come . 24:43.310 --> 24:45.088 May God bless all of you , your 24:45.088 --> 24:47.032 families , thank them for me . God 24:47.032 --> 24:49.143 bless our incredible troops , and God 24:49.143 --> 24:51.366 bless our great republic . Go forth and 24:51.366 --> 24:53.229 do great things . Thank you . 24:53.609 --> 24:56.030 Appreciate it . Thank you guys very 24:56.030 --> 24:57.030 much . 25:09.319 --> 25:12.800 You . That's what I'm .