Leading defense tech firms were summoned, including AI-aircraft software company Shield AI, the autonomous weapons firm Anduril, cruise missile start-up CoAspire and low-cost munitions maker Castelion. Hegseth focused on these hurdles at the gathering, asking each executive what obstacles stood in the way of producing more weapons, according to the people. The Defense Department is aiming to fill this gap by turning to tech companies that make low-cost munitions. “That is the direct messaging that we receive from the Department of War,” he said, using the Trump administration’s preferred name for the Defense Department. Bryon Hargis, co-founder and chief executive of Castelion, said the Pentagon’s reliance on start-ups carries enormous pressure.