Secretary of War Hegseth Visits Oshkosh, Praises Dual Commercial-Defense Manufacturing
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth toured Oshkosh Corporation, calling it a model for American manufacturers stepping up for the military.
- 25,000+
- 300+
- 90%
What Happened
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited Oshkosh Corporation in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, as part of his nationwide "Arsenal of Freedom" tour. He saw how the company's people, advanced manufacturing capabilities and industrial capacity support Department of War priorities. The visit included tactical vehicles in action and on display, and Hegseth also saw fire trucks during his tour.
- Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV)
- Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV)
- Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires (ROGUE-Fires)
25,000+
For the U.S. Armed Forces and allied partners
“It’s incredible what you achieved here at Oshkosh. You played a role in every major conflict over the last 80 years since World War II and I’ve seen your incredible work firsthand downrange, and I know that it saved American lives, the lives of American warriors. What’s special about Oshkosh is that 90 percent of your work is for commercial civilian use. It’s great to see integrated production lin”
“Secretary Hegseth’s visit underscores the critical role American industry plays in strengthening our nation’s Arsenal of Freedom. Oshkosh Defense is backed by the scale, innovation and manufacturing strength of our global commercial enterprise, giving Oshkosh the capacity and agility to respond quickly as the needs of the warfighter evolve.”
“Our production teams understand the mission behind what they build every day. The skilled men and women across Oshkosh Defense have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to turn requirements into proven capability built to perform in the world’s most demanding environments.”
Oshkosh Defense has manufactured more than 25,000 JLTVs for U.S. and allied forces since receiving the original contract in 2015, supported by a supply chain of more than 300 suppliers. Oshkosh says it is integrating autonomy and modular open systems architectures into its platforms to meet modern battlefield demands. Drawing on commercial-scale manufacturing and skilled American workers, Oshkosh Defense aims to respond quickly as warfighter needs evolve.
Why this matters
The visit highlights how a company known for fire trucks and other commercial vehicles also builds military trucks at scale, blending two production lines in one factory. Oshkosh has made more than 25,000 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles for U.S. and allied forces using a network of 300 suppliers, so the company's defense work supports a broad industrial base. Hegseth said 90 percent of Oshkosh's work is commercial, signaling that civilian manufacturing stre…
Terms in This Story
- JLTV
- Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, a military truck platform designed for transport and combat support.
- FMTV
- Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles, a series of military trucks used for logistics.
- ROGUE-Fires
- Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires, an unmanned ground vehicle for missile launch.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.