HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Lockheed Martin announced plans today to invest $16.5 million to open a new facility focusing on missile defense on its campus in Huntsville, another milestone marking the defense contractor’s growing footprint in Alabama.
The 25,000-square-foot Missile System Integration Lab (MSIL) facility will initially be used exclusively for development in Lockheed Martin’s Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) program, which based in Huntsville.
The program supports the Missile Defense Agency on the mission to protect the homeland against ballistic missile threats with a revolutionary weapon system based on cutting-edge digital tools.
“Lockheed Martin has had a presence in the Huntsville community since 1963, and the new facility adds to our advanced portfolio to ensure engineering rigor through ground testing and integration, validating our approach well before we flight test,” said Sarah Reeves, vice president of the Next Generation Interceptor Program at Lockheed Martin.
“Lockheed Martin is reminding the world of Alabamians’ willingness and ability to step up to the plate. ”The company’s plans were outlined at a groundbreaking ceremony in Huntsville today.
The Lockheed Martin Space workforce is expected to grow by over 200 employees this year at its sites in Huntsville and Courtland, where it operates a digital factory to advance hypersonic technologies.
GROWTH PLANS
Governor Kay Ivey said Lockheed Martin’s investment in the new facility builds on the company’s already massive Alabama presence, which includes a factory in Troy that produces Javelin anti-tank weapons and other missile systems.
Lockheed Martin employs more than 2,700 workers across the state, she said.
“Folks, I’ll say this. When our country needs us, Alabama is ready to answer the call,” she said at the groundbreaking event,” Governor Ivey said.
“Today is another great example of Alabama doing just that, and Lockheed Martin is reminding the world of Alabamians’ willingness and ability to step up to the plate.”
Lockheed Martin said it will continue to support key supplier outreach efforts, workforce development, and academic partnerships in the area beyond the 25 facilities in the state.
