CARLISLE, PA — Nearly $10 billion in new public and private investment and more than 4,000 projected Pennsylvania jobs were announced this week during the inaugural Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, an event convened by U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick that focused on expanding the state’s role in defense manufacturing, emerging technologies and military research.
Held July 14-15 at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, the summit brought together more than 1,300 attendees, including executives, investors, defense contractors, university researchers and military officials. According to McCormick’s office, the event generated more than 30 investment and partnership announcements spanning shipbuilding, munitions, artificial intelligence, robotics, aerospace and workforce development.
The largest commitments centered on Pennsylvania’s defense industrial base.
Rhoads Industries and General Dynamics Electric Boat reached a 10-year, $2.5 billion manufacturing agreement supporting U.S. Navy submarine construction at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, a project expected to support approximately 1,350 jobs through 2035.
Hanwha Philadelphia Shipyard secured new National Security Multi-Mission Vessel orders valued at $1.5 billion through the U.S. Maritime Administration, supporting more than 2,000 jobs.
Day & Zimmermann received a $2.3 billion contract to operate, maintain and modernize the Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada through its Philadelphia operations.
JWF Industries announced more than $500 million in anticipated defense manufacturing contracts and plans to expand its Cambria County facility by 200,000 square feet, adding about 200 jobs.
Kratos Defense disclosed plans for a 167,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in York backed by more than $7 million in production equipment, while Advanced Cooling Technologies plans a new 50,000-square-foot Lancaster County facility supporting satellite, defense and artificial intelligence applications with up to 100 new employees.
JPMorganChase committed nearly $25 million in financing and grants to strengthen Philadelphia’s maritime manufacturing sector, including support for submarine production and workforce training.
Several announcements highlighted Pennsylvania’s growing role in defense-related artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.
Blade Diagnostics expanded deployment of its SmartBlend engine sustainment platform across the U.S. Air Force’s F-35 fleet, with projected savings estimated between $1 billion and $2 billion.
Carnegie Robotics advanced into Phase III of the Army’s autonomous logistics vehicle program, positioning the company for future production opportunities valued at as much as $400 million.
Voyager Technologies completed its acquisition of Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic in a transaction valued at up to $300 million while also securing a NASA task order worth approximately $297 million for lunar surface delivery services.
Additional investments included an $81 million drone battery manufacturing initiative by Re:Build Manufacturing, a new Defense Innovation Unit-funded secure research facility in Pittsburgh, and agreements expanding artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and space technology capabilities.
Higher education institutions also announced new defense research and workforce initiatives.
Penn State entered a 10-year Army support agreement, launched a five-year nuclear research partnership with Westinghouse and will open a new gas turbine testing laboratory next month supporting both commercial and military engine development.
The University of Pittsburgh launched a consortium linking 13 Department of War medical research laboratories with academic and industry partners to advance autonomous battlefield medicine, building on more than $500 million in prior federal funding since 2019.
Lackawanna College announced a $20 million expansion that includes a Center for Technology and Innovation focused on robotics, cybersecurity and energy, while Carnegie Mellon University joined industry partners to establish an autonomous systems manufacturing platform intended to accelerate domestic production.
McCormick characterized the summit as an effort to strengthen Pennsylvania’s position in the nation’s defense economy.
“This week, that legacy translated into results with nearly $10 billion in new investment and supporting over 4,000 jobs for Pennsylvania workers,” he said.
The defense summit follows McCormick’s inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit held in Pittsburgh last year, where organizers reported more than $92 billion in announced investment commitments supporting energy, artificial intelligence, manufacturing and infrastructure projects across the Commonwealth.
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