Lockheed Martin has opened a new engineering facility, laboratory, and demonstration center in Huntsville, Alabama, to advance US security capabilities.
The $18-million, 122,000-square-foot (11,334 square meters) site will house 500 employees who will take on upgrade, readiness, and sustainment works for the US Army’s Black Hawk helicopters, as well as the Missile Defense Agency’s Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) system.
It will also be responsible for the modeling and simulation framework for the Ballistic Missile Defense System.
Additionally, the facility will be a part of Lockheed’s 1LMX Program to digitize engineering tools for faster delivery of critical capabilities.
“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,” Alabama Governor Kay 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.
Lockheed currently has 30 work sites in Alabama, employing over 3,300 workers.
Expanding in Alabama
One of Lockheed’s recent projects in the region includes the launch of the Missile System Integration Lab in 2023.
The new laboratory focuses on the product lifecycle and flight phases of US missile defense, particularly the Next Generation Interceptor set to be fielded as early as 2027.
The lab is also responsible for studying future upgrades to the C2BMC system to keep up with emerging threats. Lockheed’s C2BMC contract is estimated to be worth $4.1 billion.