Lockheed Martin: What It Makes, Who Owns It and Who Operates Its Systems
Lockheed Martin Corporation is the world’s largest defence contractor by revenue, a publicly traded US aerospace and arms company based in Bethesda, Maryland, with net sales of $75.0 billion in 2025. It builds the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-35 Lightning II fighters, the C-130 Hercules transport, the THAAD and PAC-3 missile-defence systems, HIMARS rocket artillery and, through its Sikorsky subsidiary, the Black Hawk helicopter family. In Africa and the Middle East its clearest customer relationships are Morocco (F-16 fleet, a new F-16 Block 72 order, HIMARS and ATACMS deals) and the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which operate THAAD batteries.
Photo: A Royal Moroccan Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon flies alongside a US Air Force KC-135R tanker during Exercise African Lion 2025, 13 May 2025. Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Alexandra Longfellow, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Lockheed Martin: quick facts
- Legal name: Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Country: United States
- Headquarters: Bethesda, Maryland
- Founded: 1995, by the merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta Corporation in a transaction valued at about $10 billion; both predecessor companies trace to 1912
- Ownership: Publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: LMT); no single controlling shareholder
- Chairman, President and CEO: James D. Taiclet, since 15 June 2020 (succeeded Marillyn Hewson) – source: Lockheed Martin leadership page, Janes
- Employees: approximately 123,000 at 31 December 2025, including about 72,000 engineers, scientists and information-technology professionals; about 93% based in the United States (FY2025 Form 10-K, SEC EDGAR)
- Business segments: Aeronautics; Missiles and Fire Control (MFC); Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS); Space
- FY2025 net sales: $75.0 billion, up 6% from $71.0 billion in 2024; year-end backlog of $194 billion (Q4/full-year 2025 results, 29 Jan 2026)
- Defense News Top 100 rank: #1 in the 2026 list, ranked on FY2025 defense revenue
- Major subsidiary: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Black Hawk helicopters), acquired from United Technologies for $9.0 billion, announced July 2015 and closed that November
What does Lockheed Martin make?
Lockheed Martin is organised into four business segments and sells across air, missile-defence, rotary-wing, naval and space systems. Its product range is far broader than any single African or Middle Eastern defence story; the table below lists the platforms with documented Africa/MENA relevance, plus other flagship systems for context. Dedicated product pages with full specifications will follow for the platforms with the strongest search demand.
| Product | Segment | Role | Status | Known Africa/MENA users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-16 Fighting Falcon / F-16 Block 70/72 | Aeronautics | Multirole fighter | In production (Block 70/72); earlier blocks in service worldwide | Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain |
| F-35 Lightning II | Aeronautics | Stealth multirole fighter | In production and service | No confirmed Africa/MENA operator; context only |
| C-130 Hercules | Aeronautics | Tactical transport | In production (C-130J); legacy models widely used | Morocco, Egypt and other regional air forces (L3Harris handles Morocco’s C-130H avionics overhaul, not Lockheed directly) |
| THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) | Missiles and Fire Control | Upper-tier ballistic-missile defence | In production; US production framework to expand from 96 to 400 interceptors a year signed 29 Jan 2026 | Saudi Arabia, UAE |
| PAC-3 / PAC-3 MSE | Missiles and Fire Control | Patriot-system interceptor missile | In production; record 620 PAC-3 MSE missiles delivered in 2025 (company statement) | Saudi Arabia, Kuwait; Morocco reported to be evaluating Patriot/PAC-3 MSE (not officially confirmed) |
| HIMARS (M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) | Missiles and Fire Control | Wheeled rocket artillery | In production | Morocco (US State Department approved a sale of 18 launchers, April 2023) |
| ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) | Missiles and Fire Control | Long-range ground-launched missile | In production | Morocco is one of five countries covered by a $227 million 2024 contract; work due by late 2028 |
| Javelin anti-tank missile | Missiles and Fire Control (joint venture with RTX) | Man-portable anti-tank guided missile | In production | Egypt (US approved an $832 million sale, see our Javelin-Egypt coverage) |
| Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk family | Rotary and Mission Systems (Sikorsky subsidiary) | Medium utility/attack helicopter | In production and service | Not independently confirmed for African or MENA customers at this writing |
| Aegis Combat System | Rotary and Mission Systems | Naval combat management/air-defence system | In service on multiple navies | No confirmed Africa/MENA operator; context only |
We have found no evidence that any African or Middle Eastern air force operates the F-35 or that Lockheed Martin’s Aegis system is fitted to an African or Middle Eastern warship; both are listed above for context on the company’s full product range, not as regional claims.
Who owns Lockheed Martin?
Lockheed Martin is a publicly traded company (NYSE: LMT) with no single controlling shareholder; its shares are held by institutional and individual investors. It is led by James D. Taiclet, who became Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer on 15 June 2020, succeeding Marillyn Hewson. Taiclet previously ran American Tower Corporation and served as a US Air Force officer and pilot.
The corporation was created in 1995 when Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta Corporation merged in a transaction valued at about $10 billion at the time. Both predecessor firms trace to 1912: the Glenn L. Martin Company on the Martin side, and what became the Lockheed Aircraft Company (from the Loughead brothers’ earlier aviation ventures) on the Lockheed side. Lockheed Martin’s best-known subsidiary is Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, maker of the Black Hawk helicopter family, which Lockheed agreed to buy from United Technologies for $9.0 billion in July 2015; the deal closed that November.
History: from two aircraft makers to the world’s largest defence contractor
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1912 | Glenn L. Martin Company founded in Los Angeles; the Loughead brothers begin the aviation ventures that would become the Lockheed Aircraft Company |
| 1995 | Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta Corporation merge in a deal valued at about $10 billion, forming Lockheed Martin Corporation |
| 1996 | Lockheed Martin acquires Loral Corporation’s defense electronics and systems-integration business |
| 2011-2012 | Morocco takes delivery of 23 F-16C/D Block 50/52 fighters |
| July-November 2015 | Lockheed Martin agrees to acquire Sikorsky Aircraft from United Technologies for $9.0 billion; deal closes in November |
| 2017 | Saudi Arabia’s first THAAD-related contract activity begins under a wider $15 billion missile-defence programme (44 launchers, 360 interceptors, 7 AN/TPY-2 radars) |
| 15 June 2020 | James Taiclet becomes Chairman, President and CEO |
| 2021-2023 | Morocco is cleared for Patriot/G550 (2021) and, in April 2023, for 18 HIMARS launchers worth about $524.2 million |
| 2024 | $227 million ATACMS contract covering five countries, including Morocco, with deliveries due by late 2028; Saudi Arabia activates its first THAAD battery |
| December 2025/January 2026 | $142.6 million THAAD sustainment contract modification for the UAE (two batteries), raising the cumulative case value to $876.7 million, performance period January 2026-August 2028 |
| 29 January 2026 | Lockheed Martin and the US Department of War sign a framework agreement to roughly quadruple THAAD interceptor production, from 96 to 400 a year over coming years; company breaks ground on a Munitions Acceleration Center in Camden, Arkansas |
| October 2026 | The first of Morocco’s 25 new-build F-16 Block 72 fighters completes its maiden test flight in the United States, part of a package also modernising Morocco’s 23 older F-16s |
Lockheed Martin in Africa
Morocco is, on the public record, Lockheed Martin’s only substantial African customer. We found no documented Lockheed Martin fast-jet, missile-defence or rotary-wing sale to any other African state, and no evidence that South Africa operates any Lockheed Martin aircraft; the South African Air Force flies the Saab Gripen and BAE Hawk, not an F-16 or F-35, despite search demand suggesting otherwise.
| Country | Programme | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | F-16C/D Block 50/52 | OPERATIONAL | 23 aircraft delivered 2011-2012; see our Morocco’s F-16 Fleet Explained |
| Morocco | F-16C/D Block 72 (new-build) + Block 50/52 modernisation | ORDERED | 25 new jets plus upgrade of the existing 23; approved by the US State Department in 2019 for about $3.8 billion including engines, AESA radars, Link 16 and munitions; first new-build jet completed its US maiden test flight in October 2026; no delivery date published. See our coverage of the first flight |
| Morocco | HIMARS (M142) | SELECTED | US State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of 18 launchers and related equipment for about $524.2 million in April 2023; we found no confirmation of a signed contract or delivery |
| Morocco | ATACMS | CONTRACTED | One of five countries covered by a $227 million 2024 contract; work expected complete by late 2028 |
| Morocco | Patriot / PAC-3 MSE | EVALUATED | 2021 US clearance covered Patriot air defence and G550 aircraft; 2025 reporting describes Morocco testing or evaluating the PAC-3 MSE variant, but no official Moroccan confirmation has been published |
Beyond platform sales, Lockheed Martin has built up an industrial footprint in Morocco. Maintenance Aero Maroc, a joint venture established in 2022, provides F-16 and C-130H maintenance, repair and overhaul in Morocco and the wider region. Eaton-Souriau‘s plant in Tangier has supplied Lockheed Martin’s aerospace supply chain for roughly 20 years. Lockheed Martin executives have visited Morocco more than once since late 2024 to discuss expanding local manufacturing and supply-chain ties, but at the time of writing no new Moroccan production or assembly facility has been publicly confirmed; a widely circulated claim that Morocco’s role is tied to a Lockheed Martin plan to “quadruple” PAC-3 missile production could not be verified against any primary Lockheed Martin or US government source and is not repeated here as fact. The confirmed 2026 “quadruple” production decision is a THAAD interceptor framework covering US output generally, not a Morocco-specific commitment.
Lockheed Martin in the Middle East and North Africa
| Country | Programme | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | THAAD | OPERATIONAL | First THAAD battery activated at the Air Defence Forces Institute in Jeddah; the overall programme covers 44 launchers, 360 interceptors, 16 fire-control/communications station groups and 7 AN/TPY-2 radars, valued at about $15 billion; Lockheed Martin’s first related award was a $946 million undefinitised contract. The kingdom has also begun domestic manufacture of some THAAD-related components in Jeddah with Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin describes a partnership with Saudi Arabia dating to 1965 |
| UAE | THAAD | OPERATIONAL / UNDER sustainment | Two batteries in service; a $142.6 million sustainment contract modification (reported January 2026) covers logistics, training and missile/ground-equipment repair, performance period January 2026-August 2028, cumulative case value $876.7 million |
| Kuwait | PAC-3 MSE | DELIVERED | Produced for Kuwait and Saudi Arabia under a 2018 Lockheed Martin contract |
| Egypt | F-16 fleet | OPERATIONAL | Large existing F-16 fleet; see our Egypt military-strength coverage for current fleet detail |
| Egypt | Javelin anti-tank missile | SELECTED | US approved an $832 million possible sale in 2025; see our dedicated Javelin-Egypt article |
| Jordan | F-16 fleet | OPERATIONAL | See our Jordan military-strength coverage |
Bahrain also operates F-16 aircraft and has been linked in press reporting to other US-sourced air-defence equipment, but we found no Lockheed Martin-specific contract detailed enough to include here. For a different missile-defence angle, see our alternatives-to-Patriot coverage (Patriot is an RTX, not a Lockheed Martin, product; this THAAD/PAC-3 article does not duplicate that piece’s scope).
Facilities, subsidiaries and partnerships
- Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Stratford, Connecticut) – wholly owned subsidiary since November 2015, builds the Black Hawk family and other rotary-wing platforms.
- Javelin Joint Venture – Javelin anti-tank missiles are produced through a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and RTX (formerly Raytheon), not by Lockheed Martin alone.
- Maintenance Aero Maroc (Morocco) – joint venture established 2022 for F-16 and C-130H maintenance, repair and overhaul.
- Eaton-Souriau, Tangier (Morocco) – aerospace-component supplier in Lockheed Martin’s supply chain for about two decades.
- Munitions Acceleration Center (Camden, Arkansas, US) – new facility to build THAAD, PAC-3 and other munitions with advanced manufacturing and robotics, announced alongside the January 2026 THAAD production framework.
- Jeddah local manufacturing (Saudi Arabia) – a Lockheed Martin/Saudi military collaboration producing some domestic THAAD-related components.
Recent contracts and news, 2025-2026
- 2025: Saudi Arabia activates its first operational THAAD battery; US approves an $832 million possible Javelin sale to Egypt; record 620 PAC-3 MSE missiles delivered company-wide.
- 29 January 2026: Full-year 2025 results reported: net sales of $75.0 billion, record backlog of $194 billion; the same week, Lockheed Martin and the US Department of War sign a framework agreement to expand THAAD interceptor production from 96 to 400 a year, with a new Munitions Acceleration Center announced for Camden, Arkansas.
- Reported January 2026 (federal procurement record dated December 2025): $142.6 million THAAD sustainment contract modification for the UAE’s two batteries, raising the cumulative case value to $876.7 million.
- October 2026: The first of Morocco’s new-build F-16 Block 72 fighters completes its maiden test flight in the United States.
Lockheed Martin careers, internships and salary
How to apply
Lockheed Martin recruits through its own careers site, reachable from lockheedmartin.com/careers, which routes applicants to the company’s jobs portal to create a profile, upload a résumé and search openings by location and business area. The company does not publish a single public salary scale; pay varies by role, location, clearance level and experience. According to its FY2025 Form 10-K, Lockheed Martin hired nearly 10,800 new employees during 2025, of whom nearly 1,500 were college hires, and about 72,000 of its roughly 123,000 employees are engineers, scientists or IT professionals.
Internships
Lockheed Martin runs a recurring internship and co-op programme for students, applied for through the same careers portal; postings and timing vary by business area and location, and most US intern and co-op roles require US citizenship because of ITAR export-control rules on the technology involved. We found no single official page listing a universal internship pay scale, acceptance rate or application window valid across every Lockheed Martin site, so treat any specific figure quoted elsewhere as unverified unless it links to lockheedmartin.com directly.
How many employees does Lockheed Martin have?
| Source | Figure | Date | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Form 10-K, SEC EDGAR | approximately 123,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | Official, audited filing |
| Third-party workforce-data aggregator (Revelio Labs) | 122,729 | 2026 estimate | Third-party model, not official |
Figures above or below this range that circulate on recruiting and data-modelling sites are third-party estimates built from online profiles, not official headcounts; the 10-K figure is the one to use for 2025.
Salary and reviews
Lockheed Martin publishes no official public salary scale. Search demand for engineer and software-engineer pay is strong, but any specific number attributed to Lockheed Martin on recruiting blogs or forums should be treated as a third-party, employee-reported estimate rather than a company figure unless it names its platform, date, role, currency and sample size. We found no Lockheed Martin-specific official statement on pay bands, benefits or employee reviews beyond its own careers site, and we have not included unverified numbers here.
FAQ
What does Lockheed Martin make?
Lockheed Martin builds the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-35 Lightning II fighters, the C-130 Hercules transport, THAAD and PAC-3 missile-defence systems, HIMARS rocket artillery, Javelin anti-tank missiles (through a joint venture with RTX) and, through its Sikorsky subsidiary, the Black Hawk helicopter family, among many other aerospace, missile, naval and space systems.
Who owns Lockheed Martin?
Lockheed Martin is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: LMT) with no single controlling shareholder. It is led by Chairman, President and CEO James D. Taiclet, in office since 15 June 2020.
How many employees does Lockheed Martin have?
Approximately 123,000 as of 31 December 2025, according to the company’s FY2025 Form 10-K filed with the SEC, including about 72,000 engineers, scientists and IT professionals.
Does Lockheed Martin operate in Morocco?
Yes. Morocco operates 23 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 50/52 fighters delivered in 2011-2012 and has ordered 25 new-build F-16 Block 72 jets plus an upgrade of its older aircraft; the first new-build jet completed its US maiden test flight in October 2026. Morocco has also been cleared to buy HIMARS and is covered by a multi-country ATACMS contract, and Lockheed Martin runs a maintenance joint venture, Maintenance Aero Maroc, in the country.
Does any African country operate the Lockheed Martin F-35?
No. We found no confirmed African F-35 operator. The South African Air Force, sometimes confused with an F-16 or F-35 user in search queries, flies the Saab Gripen and BAE Hawk, not a Lockheed Martin aircraft.
Which Middle Eastern countries operate Lockheed Martin’s THAAD system?
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates both operate THAAD batteries. Saudi Arabia’s programme covers 44 launchers, 360 interceptors and 7 radars valued at about $15 billion; the UAE’s two batteries are covered by a sustainment contract worth a cumulative $876.7 million.
Does Lockheed Martin offer internships?
Yes, through its main careers portal, with summer internship and co-op positions posted by business area and location. Most US roles require US citizenship because of export-control rules. No single official page gives a universal pay scale or acceptance rate across all sites.
What was Lockheed Martin’s revenue in 2025?
Net sales of $75.0 billion for full-year 2025, up 6% from $71.0 billion in 2024, with a year-end backlog of $194 billion, according to the company’s 29 January 2026 results announcement.
Related pages
- Morocco’s F-16 Fleet Explained
- Morocco’s First F-16 Block 72 Completes Maiden Test Flight
- L3Harris Begins Multi-Year Overhaul of Morocco’s C-130H Fleet
- US Approves $832 Million Javelin Missile Sale to Egypt
- 5 alternatives au Patriot pour la région MENA
- How Strong Is Egypt’s Military in 2026?
- How Strong Is Jordan’s Military in 2026?
- How Strong Is Saudi Arabia’s Military?
- What the UAE’s Armed Forces Operate, and What Is Still on Order
- What Kuwait’s Military Looks Like After the June Drone Attack
- Why Did Morocco Buy the AH-64E Apache? (Boeing, not Lockheed Martin)
Sources
- SEC EDGAR – Lockheed Martin Corp, Form 10-K, FY2025
- Lockheed Martin – Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
- Lockheed Martin – James Taiclet joins as President and CEO
- Janes – Lockheed Martin’s new CEO officially begins role
- Lockheed Martin – Saudi Arabia partnership page
- Lockheed Martin – Strengthens partnerships in Morocco
- Morocco World News – Lockheed Martin expands defense manufacturing footprint in Morocco
- Morocco World News – Lockheed Martin eyes Moroccan manufacturing hub
- DefenceMENA – Morocco’s First F-16 Block 72 Completes Maiden Test Flight
- The Defense Post – Lockheed, US sign THAAD interceptor framework
- Lockheed Martin – Expand THAAD Interceptor Production
- The Defense Post – Lockheed Martin to continue maintenance for UAE’s THAAD
- Army Recognition – Lockheed Martin wins $142.6m contract to sustain UAE’s THAAD
- Defence Security Asia – Saudi Arabia activates first THAAD missile unit
- US approves potential sale of HIMARS rockets to Morocco for estimated $524.2 million
- IndustryWeek – Lockheed Martin to acquire Sikorsky for $9 billion
- DefenceMENA – Morocco’s F-16 Fleet Explained
- DefenceMENA – US Approves $832 Million Javelin Missile Sale to Egypt
