Lockheed Martin to expand Javelin production
Lockheed Martin aims to expand its production of Javelin, counterbattery rockets, and radars in the face of Russia in Ukraine.
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Lockheed Martin to expand Javelin production.
Lockheed Martin Chairman and CEO James Taiclet stated on Friday that the company will increase production of Javelin anti-tank missile systems for Ukraine, even before the Pentagon requests more.
Next week, President Joe Biden will pay a visit to a Lockheed Martin weapons manufacturing site in the US state of Alabama, where Javelins are manufactured. The weapon has been promoted by the Biden administration as a symbol of the United States' efforts to stand in the face of Russia.
"Something this urgent, we are going to move forward ahead of need," Taiclet told an audience at the Atlantic Council. "We are going to invest in that... Javelins are saving lives. It is a game-changing capacity for the Ukrainians."
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Lockheed Martin was also considering providing financial assistance to many of its Javelin component suppliers to ensure that everyone could ramp up production quickly and avoid bottlenecks in the supply chain, according to Taiclet.
Since Russia commenced its military operation in Ukraine in late February, the Biden administration has offered Ukraine $3.4 billion in assistance, including more than 5,500 Javelins, according to a Pentagon announcement on April 22.
Lockheed Martin expanding production of counterbattery rockets, radars
According to firm President, Chairman, and CEO James Taiclet, Lockheed Martin, the largest single US defense contractor, is increasing production capacity for counterbattery rockets and the radars required to monitor any military operations.
"We are going to need to expand production capacity," Taiclet told a meeting at the Atlantic Council. "We are investing in expanding production capacity also [of] counter-battery radar. We expect to increase the production rates of rockets with counter-battery fire."
According to a senior US defense official, the US is still supplying Ukraine with heavy artillery and radars to direct it.
"In the next 24 hours, more than a dozen flights are expected from the continental United States and that will include howitzers, more 155 [mm artillery] rounds, some of those Phoenix ghost UAVs, and even some of the radars that we talked about," the official told a press briefing.
In the last six months, the stock price of Lockheed Martin has climbed by about 35%. Competition between major powers, according to Taiclet, will generate business for the corporation.
