The Frederick News Post:
Lockheed Martin broke ground Tuesday on a new research-and-development facility in Orlando, Florida, where the Bethesda-based defense giant plans to hire 1,800 people to work on new weapons systems for the Pentagon.
Engineers at the facility will work to develop new weapons systems including the Long Range Stand-off Missile, a plane-launched nuclear cruise missile. The company is in fierce competition with rivals such as Boeing, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman to capture new defense spending as the Trump administration looks to update the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
The expansion comes on the heels of a strong year for Lockheed. The company logged 2017 sales of $51 billion, up from $47.2 billion a year earlier, further solidifying its place as the world’s largest defense contractor by a wide margin. That growth was driven by accelerated production of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which is finally ramping up sales following years of delays and cost overruns.
