Lockheed

Topic summary

Lockheed Martin: programs, controversies, and what public sources actually support.

Key research questions

• Lockheed Martin SR-72 Development
• Lockheed Martin NGAD Hiring & Development
• Mako Multi-Mission Hypersonic Missile

Important claims and supporting citations

• Hiring patterns at Lockheed Martin's Palmdale, CA (Skunk Works) facility point to the prototyping of Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD).

• These job postings for "classified hypersonic program" systems engineers are located at Skunk Works (Site 10, Palmdale).

• Joint subcontracts reveal Lockheed Martin's deep, operational reliance on Aerojet Rocketdyne (now L3Harris) for propulsion and BAE Systems for electronic warfare suites on the F-35, even when not actively promoted in joint press releases.

• The Mako Multi-Mission Hypersonic Missile was developed largely out of the public eye for seven years before its unveiling.

• The hiring requirements for hypersonic aerodynamics and high-temperature materials at Lockheed Martin's Huntsville and Courtland, Alabama facilities align with programs like the AGM-183A ARRW (Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon) and the recently unveiled Mako hypersonic missile.

• Construction permits and environmental impact reports in Palmdale (Plant 42) and Fort Worth, Texas, often reveal the physical dimensions of new manufacturing floors, which analysts use to estimate production capacity for classified aircraft or F-35 block upgrades before official announcements.

• The focus on distributed autonomous systems, sensor fusion, and manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) in Lockheed Martin's patent filings and research papers indicates the underlying architecture being developed for loyal wingman drones, such as those in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.

• The Mako Multi-Mission Hypersonic Missile was unveiled at the Sea Air Space exposition in April 2024.

Outstanding questions

• Hiring patterns at Lockheed Martin's Palmdale, CA (Skunk Works) facility point to the prototyping of Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD).
• These job postings for "classified hypersonic program" systems engineers are located at Skunk Works (Site 10, Palmdale).
• The Mako Multi-Mission Hypersonic Missile was developed largely out of the public eye for seven years before its unveiling.
• The Mako Multi-Mission Hypersonic Missile was unveiled at the Sea Air Space exposition in April 2024.
• Lockheed Martin has regular job postings for 'special programs' at Denver-area facilities requiring TS/SCI clearance.
• The Mako Multi-Mission Hypersonic Missile was originally pitched for the Air Force’s Stand-In Attack Weapon (SiAW) program.
• Lockheed Martin job descriptions from 2023-2024 include specific references to 'next-generation fighter' subsystems.
• Public statements by aerospace executives and DOD officials indicate Lockheed Martin is one of the primary competitors for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programs.