Hegseth Welcomes U.K. Counterpart to Pentagon

View Online Hegseth Welcomes U.K. Counterpart to Pentagon Oct. 15, 2026 |  By Matthew Olay Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted Wes Streeting, the United Kingdom's defense secretary, at the Pentagon today, where the two leaders participated in a bilateral engagement.  At the meeting's outset, Hegseth spoke of the strong alliance between the two countries, stating that the friendship and partnership they share are not about nostalgia.  "[Rather,] they're about an ongoing partnership that needs to be active in a dangerous world [and] a dynamic world, and we welcome that," Hegseth told Streeting.  He then raised the concept of "NATO 3.0," which envisions a strategic rebalancing of the NATO alliance in which European nations assume primary responsibility for their own conventional defense, allowing the U.S. to reduce its troop presence on the continent and shift focus to other regions, such as the Pacific.  "It's been very encouraging under President [Donald J.] Trump's leadership to watch NATO step up. … [And we] commend the U.K. for projecting to do just that," Hegseth said.  While discussing rebuilding the military, he noted the importance of working with allied and partner countries to contribute jointly to the effort.  "We talk about an arsenal of freedom here in the States, [about] building that and ensuring that our domestic manufacturing, our industry, our production lines, [are] made in America [at] speed, scale, [and] made with partners," Hegseth said, adding that supply chain confidence is critical, which is something he said the U.K. is aggressively leaning into.  Hegseth also thanked Streeting for communications regarding recent threats to the U.S. military in the U.K., notably, a suspected Iran-backed terror plot and security incident at the RAF Fairford air base in Britain last month. The incident prompted the U.S. military to withdraw its bomber aircraft and return them to the United States.  During his remarks, Streeting said his country is also prioritizing its military buildup, noting that the U.K. is currently undergoing the biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War.  "But to your point, it's not just about investing more; it's about investing in the right things and making sure that we're pushing the frontier of defense innovation and translating that innovation into capability a lot more quickly," Streeting told Hegseth.  He added that the U.K. also needs to strengthen its defense industrial base, making sure to push the frontier of defense innovation and translating that innovation into capabilities more quickly.  Streeting also agreed that NATO countries in Europe need to remain more self-reliant in defense.  "The U.K. is stepping up; we're stepping up willingly. … Thanks to President Trump for enabling Europe — and pressing Europe — to take the defense of our own continent and our own interests more seriously," he said.  Like Hegseth, Streeting also stressed the importance of a strong U.S.-U.K. alliance.  "It's fair to say, at this stage, it's not clear whether freedom or tyranny will define the 21st century," Streeting said.   "What is clear is that the United Kingdom and the United States will not be bystanders in that struggle, and we're determined to see freedom prevail," he added.  This was Streeting's first visit to Washington since taking office in July.

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