How Lockheed Martin Is Ramping Up Missile Production at Record Speed

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]Global defense spending and military modernization are accelerating as rising geopolitical tensions push countries to expand missile defense capabilities and strengthen domestic production. In response, defense giants like Lockheed Martin are investing billions of dollars to scale munitions manufacturing, expand facilities across the US, and support next-generation defense systems. Joining us now for more is Tim Cahill, president of missiles and fire control at Lockheed Martin. Thank you so much for being here today, Tim.

[00:00:30]Good morning, Justine. Thank you for having me. Of course, we have so much to get to here. First of all, for viewers who may not be familiar, give us a quick overview of Lockheed Martin's missiles and fire control business. What exactly do you do?

[00:00:43]Oh, absolutely, Justine. Happy to do that. So, you might imagine we build uh missile systems as well as the fire control systems that go on platforms to direct those systems. So, one of those in particular, right behind me, you see the THAAD interceptor. It is among the world's premier anti-missile missile systems. So, we build defensive missiles like THAAD and the Patriot MSE. We build airborne missiles that that fly off of our um Air Force platforms and our international platforms, JASSM and LRASM. And we build some of the strike missiles that you've heard about in Ukraine and other places like PRISM and and GMLRS and ATACMS.

[00:01:18]Yeah, you guys do so much and you're building so much and you're actually expanding so much as well. So, you've announced an 8 to 9 billion-dollar investment through 2030 to scale munitions production. What's driving that massive expansion that we're seeing right now?

[00:01:33]Well, clearly what's important is that we get capability out to the warfighter and make sure that they have what they need worldwide to deter aggression. And so, clearly this this problem has been brewing for a while. This administration has taken it head-on, come up with some exceptionally innovative commercial models, which actually unlock the potential that you have in long-term contracts. Taking that potential, turning it into corporate investment, which we are doing, and then moving forward to increase the ramps and make sure that all of the stockpiles are not just replenished, but ready for any conflict that might come forward in the future. And so, we are ahead of that curve. We are investing. We're now a billion dollars into what will be at least a $9 billion investment to expand facilities, to build up tooling, to build up the supply chain across the entire United States to deliver on that commitment. Yeah, I mean, you're talking about all of this expansion and all of these increases. The company is now also breaking ground on a major new facility in Troy, Alabama, right? So, tell us a little bit about what that facility will be producing and why that's so important.

[00:02:36]Of course, happy to. So, behind me you can see and probably can't see this entire facility, just a corner of it.

[00:02:41]This is a cavernous facility that right now produces those THAAD anti-missile missiles that we talked about earlier.

[00:02:48]So, we're going to ramp production by about fourfold in those. So, we are going to double this this building. And so, right outside in just a few hours we're going to break ground with the Department of War, and we are going to build the building that is going to start creating those interceptors. So, we are off and running. Construction equipment everywhere. It's a frenzy of activity uh here in Troy, Alabama.

[00:03:08]Yeah, I'm sure that there's so much going on there as you ramp up all of this production. Tell us a little bit more about these THAAD interceptor missiles that you've mentioned a few times now. So, how does that system really work and why is the demand for it growing so rapidly right now, really around the world?

[00:03:24]Well, I'm happy to do that. So, to first order, the THAAD interceptor system detects incoming missiles of any sort that are coming in, and then lights off an interceptor, the ones you see right behind me, that go up and actually intercept that missile coming in. And the way it does it is really unique and exciting. It doesn't actually have an explosive in its warhead. It actually just hits the incoming missile, the famous bullet on a bullet scenario. And that kinetic energy, that that that force of impact, literally vaporizes that incoming threat. So, why are they so important? Well, countries around the world over the years are continuing to get more and more capable. So, more nations have these ballistic missiles uh in their arsenal, and we may face them.

[00:04:08]Our allies might face them anywhere in the world right now. So, it's very important as these threats become more and more capable that we have systems like THAAD that are state-of-the-art, capable of knocking those things out before they ever hit our troops, before they ever hit population centers, basically keeping us and our allies safe.

[00:04:25]Yeah, I mean, speaking of these defense systems to uh keep people on the ground safe, there's been this increased discussion around this US Golden Dome missile defense system. So, how could THAAD and other technologies really play a role in a strategy like that?

[00:04:41]Yeah, so so, Golden Dome, you could imagine to to first order, Golden Dome will be some of the systems like our PAC-3 MSE missile Patriot system. Uh it'll be radars that we have in technology stores right now, which is why we can we, being the United States, can deploy these things pretty rapidly.

[00:04:57]Then, there's going to be some new and exciting technologies like space-based interceptors and new innovations and new technology that'll come to bear to try and catch some of these threats just when they come off the ground instead of trying to catch all of them right when they get to our cities or our bases here in the United States. So, that's the principle around Golden Dome. It's coming together very fast. Um the US government is is moving forward with urgency. We are in a number of these efforts supporting uh both in command and control coalition to build the software that ties it together, as well as building some of these interceptors that are actually going to do the hard work, and we're in some of the new technology efforts like space-based interceptor. So, we're supporting everywhere we can. This is a great endeavor, and we're looking forward to seeing it come to fruition.

[00:05:40]Yeah, and as that does come to fruition, there are also so many other conflicts happening around the world, global conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine still so many different places. So, thinking about all of these heightened tensions and also now especially with Iran and how that impacts demand for missile defense systems. Tell us a little bit more about why now is so important for these systems and the other munitions that you produce.

[00:06:03]No, I certainly will. So, you can imagine that this started when when Ukraine was invaded a number of years ago. And so, it became really clear to the entire world whether you were in Europe, the United States, Australia, didn't matter. But this increased recognition of the importance of first deterrence. We'd like to be strong enough and we'd like all our allies to be strong enough to keep any adversary from from trying to invade and attack.

[00:06:26]But then secondly, to be able to sustain those operations for an extended period of time if necessary if attacked. And so, what's been clear again as the threats of out there have grown in number and grown in capability that the number of munitions that you need on your side of the equation to make sure you can again first deter and and fight back if you need to are in your arsenal.

[00:06:48]And so, that recognition again is worldwide. We see that in the increased defense and security budgets of nations around the world. And our systems, United States systems frankly are the best in the world. So, they're in high demand. Everybody wants THAADs.

[00:07:02]Everybody wants Patriot MSEs, for example. Everybody want wants PRISMS.

[00:07:07]And we're delighted to be an export engine for the country. Driving jobs, driving capability, driving high-tech systems, new technologies. And we do that as part of the global environment.

[00:07:18]So, it's it's good for us and it's good for our allies and good for business.

[00:07:22]Yeah, I mean thinking about this global reach that you have all around the world and then bringing that back here now to the US, there's a big push around reshoring critical defense production.

[00:07:32]So, how important is this domestic manufacturing capacity to national security?

[00:07:38]Well, it's critical to national security. It's very important that we have the capability to supply without interruption, any kind of interruption, be it be it an aggressive interruption or some other type of interruption like a pandemic, to be able to produce what we need for our military to stay safe and to keep us safe. So, that's critically important. Now, in our industry, we have that capability. We have what we need built in the United States and we spend a lot of time in partnership with the Department of War ensuring that we have security of supply within the United States to make sure that that happens. And so, our job is to maintain that, to be vigilant. There are thousands of of suppliers out there and tens of thousands of parts. And so, we have to keep track of all that in a global environment. But, um, we do a pretty good job of that, I think, and are exactly where we want to be going into this ramp providing for both our nation and for our allies.

[00:08:29]Yeah, and going into that ramp, I mean, lastly, we're just talking about all of this expansion, all of this investment.

[00:08:35]What is the signal about the future of defense spending, modernization, the next generation of missile defense?

[00:08:40]Where do you all see this going in the next 6 months, the next year or 2 years?

[00:08:46]Well, so clearly, I think, again, as our adversaries get more capable, we have to get more capable. So, we see an entire series of new evolutions and new systems that are coming online. I think we're going to see a mix an increased mix of systems that take on both the low end, the drone systems, as well as the high end systems that THAAD and Patriot PAC-3 take on, for example. And we are involved in all those realms. For example, we have a system that's called Sanctum. It's a counter UAS system. Um, it detects use uses, um, AI technologies to identify and to track su- drones no matter how small or how fast they are, and then apply exactly the amount of of, uh, capability necessary to stop them and no more. That could be a laser, could be a small missile like a Hellfire variant that we use. Uh, it could be microwave technologies where we go out in you might say zap the electronics on the incoming drones. So, the key is going to be to be able to employ that range of technologies that are appropriate for whatever that threat is, and to build them with technologies, innovation, AI to allow them to be adaptable because our adversaries don't stand still. They see what you are deploying, they try and counter it, we counter their counter, and back and forth. So, you have to put systems out there thinking about what is this going to be in 10 years, 15 years, 20 years down the line. So, it's an exciting high-tech business, and we're just delighted to be to be a part of it.

[00:10:11]Well, that's great. Thank you so much.

[00:10:13]We really appreciate you being here today and breaking this all down for us.

[00:10:16]Tim Cahill, president of missiles and fire control at Lockheed Martin. Thank you so much for your time.

[00:10:22]Thank you, Justine. It's a pleasure to be with you today.