The history — and future — of the defense industry in Arizona

An ASU economist discusses how Arizona's climate and affordable land shaped the state's defense equipment industry.

In this story aired Nov. 7, 2023, on KJZZ:

It really begins in World War ll, with bases established here and a strong military and aerospace presence… It’s far easier to fly airplanes and experiment with new spacecraft, jets, etc., in a climate like Arizona as opposed to New Jersey or Michigan... In terms of the private sector businesses, the encouragement of a labor force to embrace these businesses, affordable land, affordable and increasingly talented labor. The cherry on top was the congressional delegation that was very pro-Arizona.

– Dennis Hoffman, director of the L. William Seidman Research Institute and ASU’s Office of the University Economist