Defense contractor Lockheed Martin recently marked the opening of the company’s new $18 million engineering facility, labs and demonstration center in Huntsville, reinforcing its already large presence in Alabama.
Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin said the 122,000-square-foot facility provides space for 500 employees who will advance national security capabilities and drive innovation in North Alabama.
“The crucial work being done here by our customers, our company, and our industry partners has made Alabama a key 21st-century, high-tech defense and deterrence provider that’s ramping up to ensure our troops will stay ahead of accelerating threats across every domain — land, sea, air, space, and cyber,” said Stephanie C. Hill, Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems president.
Governor Kay Ivey joined Lockheed Martin leaders, U.S. Department of Defense representatives and state and local officials at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new facility on Thursday.
“Alabama is proud to support our military and defense sectors, and Lockheed Martin’s presence in our state plays a crucial role in advancing national security, ensuring that our nation remains at the forefront of technological advancement,” Governor Ivey said.
“Lockheed Martin’s continued investment in Alabama is a testament to the strength of our workforce and the strategic importance of Huntsville in shaping the future of defense,” she added.
With the opening of this facility, Lockheed Martin’s footprint in Alabama expands to 30 work sites in the state employing over 3,300 people.
Besides Huntsville, Lockheed Martin also has a significant presence in Pike County, where it operates a missile assembly facility and a Sikorsky aircraft manufacturing site, and in Lawrence County, where it has a “digital” factory focusing on hypersonic technologies.
“Each Lockheed site, here in our state, reflects a dedication to excellence and mission success that we deeply appreciate,” Governor Ivey said. “Lockheed, thank you for continuing to choose Alabama as your partner in such important work.”
Work performed at the new engineering facility supports a 60-year legacy of Lockheed Martin customer partnerships in Huntsville supporting all domains air, space, land, sea and cyber.
Teams in the new facility will advance Lockheed Martin’s 21st Century Security efforts including:
- Readiness and sustainment for the U.S. Army’s Black Hawk helicopter, including the current Multi-Year X contract with production, Foreign Military Sales and all upgrades to the aircraft.
- The team is working toward a Multi-Year XI contract opportunity that will result in a modernized Black Hawk featuring more range, payload and networked connectivity to ensure the Black Hawk of tomorrow stays ahead of the threat.
- Missile Defense Agency Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) system. C2BMC is a layered missile defense system providing commanders the ability to make synchronized decisions about threats at any range, in any phase of flight, from any location in the world.
- Modeling and Simulation Contract – Framework and Tools program, supporting the modeling and simulation framework for the Ballistic Missile Defense System.
The site will further enhance the company’s 1LMX digital transformation that drives efficiencies, connecting and optimizing engineering tools to enable Lockheed Martin’s workforce to deliver critical capabilities with more agility
A new Lockheed Martin Rotary Wing Innovation Center, equipped with a modernized Sikorsky Black Hawk mission simulator and next-generation capability simulation tools, will offer the Army an interactive view into the future of the Black Hawk and capabilities for the enduring fleet.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Governor Ivey experienced the flight simulator — and was presented with wings for what she described as her “first day as a pilot.”
Lockheed Martin said the Innovation Center will be a meeting place for key stakeholders across the military, government, and industry to chart a path forward for Army aviation for decades to come.