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A STRONG OFFENSE FOR THE WORLD OF DEFENSE

September 18, 2026 Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force are once again discussing new-build F-16s. The development comes as the service grapples with a fighter fleet that is simultaneously aging, shrinking, ballooning in sustainment cost and being called upon to do more. This also comes at a time when the Air Force is now investing heavily in the F-15EX, another fourth-generation type it hadn’t bought for many years after committing to an all stealth future fighter fleet in the 2000s. Read our feature story here

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Site Expansions Underpin Lockheed Martin’s Munitions Production Ramp

Branded Content: Bigger sites, advanced manufacturing techniques, and boosting the workforce are key industry commitments to increased munitions production.

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From the Archive

For Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, It’s All About Getting To The Prototype Stage

The famous design division says "skunking" helps it avoid many traditional pitfalls in the development process and build flying examples faster.

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Hot Shots

Marines fire a BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missile with the M41A7 Saber weapon system during a live-fire training event at Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, Japan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Camila Garibay

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) conducts an ordnance-handling evolution. U.S. Navy photo

A flight of MC-130J Commando II aircraft return to Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, from a deployment. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin Williams