Lockheed Martin on Monday announced the opening of its new 65,000-square-foot production facility to make hypersonic systems in the state of Alabama where the Air Force’s AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) is said to be manufactured by the company, along with hypersonic systems for the U.S. Army and Navy.
To deliver new 21st-century warfare capabilities, the defence giant is closely working with the U.S.Department of Defence on critical digital factory capabilities to deliver this technology.
Hypersonic technology
As per the company’s press release, the objective for opening the advanced production facility is focused on hypersonic strike production thereby breaking barriers in hypersonic technology. The release further added that the facility represents the company’s intentions to establish northern Alabama as the base of the corporation’s hypersonic strike programs while the 65,000 square foot Hypersonic Missile Assembly Building 4 (MAB) is said to be built on the digital foundation which has been prioritized by the company through mission-driven transformation efforts.
To train and for virtual inspections, critical digital transformation advancements including robotic thermal protection application capabilities along with smart torque tools and mixed-reality capabilities has also been integrated by the Conventional Prompt Strike production facility.
Current status
It is an American aerospace, arms, defence, information security, and technology corporation and has had its presence in northern Alabama for more than 50 years.
Earlier this year, the company had opened one of its four “intelligent factory” sites at its “Skunk Works” advanced development unit in Palmdale with an aim for manufacturing secret prototype and operational systems, presumably unmanned vehicles, and the Air Force’s new Next Generation Air Dominance system.
Significant investments in the development and manufacturing of hypersonic systems for countering rapidly emerging threats are continued to be made by Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed Martin in India
Earlier this year, the corporation was open to setting up a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in India for F-21 to further sweeten its bid for the 114 fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Back in 2019, one of the company officials said that it will not sell its newly rolled out F-21 fighter jet to any other country if India places an order for 114 planes.