Congressman Biggs Supports ASU’s Bid to Establish New American Defense Center

September 9, 2026 Press Release GILBERT, ARIZONA. – This month, Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05) led a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth supporting Arizona State University’s (ASU) application to establish the Applied Research for Manufacturing Operational Readiness (ARMOR) Center at ASU’s Polytechnic campus in Arizona’s Fifth Congressional District. The proposed center would strengthen Arizona’s manufacturing sector and defense industrial base while advancing technologies critical to America’s military readiness. The U.S. Army is seeking to establish a new national ARMOR Center to accelerate the transition of cutting-edge manufacturing research into capabilities that strengthen military readiness and the American defense industrial base. The center would serve as a trusted government partner, coordinating research and helping move promising technologies into the Army’s Organic Industrial Base, defense contractors, and other manufacturing partners. ASU’s proposed ARMOR Center would create an end-to-end pipeline to advance technologies from applied research and development through maturation, qualification, scaling, and ultimately deployment into military manufacturing and sustainment operations. Establishing the center at ASU’s Polytechnic campus would further position Arizona as a national leader in advanced manufacturing and defense technology while strengthening the state’s growing defense industrial base. “Led by institutions and companies like Arizona State University, our state continues to position itself at the forefront of America’s defense industrial base,” said Congressman Biggs. “Throughout my time in Congress, I have been pleased to support projects and initiatives that strengthen our national defense and help safeguard our citizens, freedoms, and interests. ASU is well positioned to lead this important effort, and I am hopeful the administration will select its proposal to establish the ARMOR Center here in Arizona.” Congressman Eli Crane co-led the letter. Read the letter here . ###