Lockheed Martin outlines integrated firepower vision and production ramp-up 

Lockheed Martin used its Paris Air Show 2025 media briefing to highlight how its offensive and defensive missile systems are evolving into a unified, sensor-driven battlefield architecture. Executives also detailed significant production increases across the company’s tactical missile portfolio, driven by growing international demand and European partnerships. 

Joint Fires: Linking sensors to shooters across domains 

At the heart of Lockheed Martin’s evolving concept is “Joint Fires”, the ability to use elevated sensors, from F-35s to satellites, to deliver real-time targeting data to missile systems across air, land, and sea.  

Jason Reynolds, Vice President and General Manager for Integrated Air and Missile Defense, explained how this enables both precision offensive strikes and defensive interceptions.  

“We’re not just talking about this, we’re proving it,” Reynolds said. “Our PAC-3 interceptors, offensive guided rockets, and communications devices like RiG-360 are being tested together in live-fire exercises.” 

One such test took place on May 5, 2025, during Balikatan 2025, a major US-Philippines military exercise in the Indo-Pacific. Lockheed Martin and the US Army successfully redirected a HIMARS-fired rocket mid-flight to strike a moving maritime target, in the first demonstration of this capability within INDOPACOM’s area of responsibility.

The test illustrated how data-linked fires can eliminate the need for costly onboard seekers by enabling in-flight targeting updates from distant sensors.

Using these new architectures, missiles like the PAC-3 and GMLRS can now receive targeting updates from elevated platforms, such as the F-35, or ground-based systems, allowing for flexible, networked responses to both stationary and mobile targets.

Reynolds emphasized the relevance of this approach to both layered air defense and counter-strike.  

“As soon as someone lights up on the battlefield, our systems can detect and engage, using either offensive fires or defensive ones,” Reynolds explained. 

Tactical missile surge: HIMARS, GMLRS, and beyond 

On the offensive side, Paula Hartley, Vice President and General Manager for Tactical Missiles, laid out the dramatic surge in Lockheed Martin’s precision fires output. From HIMARS and M270 launchers to GMLRS, ATACMS, and the next-generation Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), demand has soared since the war in Ukraine began. 

“In 2025, we’ll deliver 40% more products than in 2024 across our portfolio,” Hartley said.  

HIMARS production has doubled in two years, from 48 to 96 units annually, and Lockheed Martin has begun building launchers ahead of confirmed orders to shorten lead times. 

The GMLRS production line is expected to reach 14,000 units per year soon. Meanwhile, the company is progressing on multiple increments of PrSM, with Increment 2 incorporating an electro-optical seeker for moving targets and Increment 4 currently in competition. 

Lockheed Martin emphasized how international partners are key to sustaining this expansion. Estonia recently received its first HIMARS, and Lockheed Martin confirmed ongoing discussions with Poland for localized HIMARS production under the “Homar” initiative. A live-fire test of the European-built “GMLRS-ready” G-MARS system, developed with Rheinmetall, is also scheduled for summer 2025 in the US. 

Sustainment moves closer to the front line 

In addition to production, Lockheed Martin is focusing on in-theater sustainment.  

“Customers no longer want to send launchers back to the US for repairs,” Hartley said.  

A HIMARS sustainment center opened in Romania last year in partnership with Aerostar, and similar models are under discussion with Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, and Greece. 

There are also active efforts to replicate this approach across the portfolio, including munitions and platforms such as Javelin and PAC-3. Reynolds confirmed that co-production options for PAC-3 are now being explored in Europe, alongside existing production lines in the US and Japan. 

Strengthening the supply chain: propulsion, seekers, and localization 

To support this industrial surge, Lockheed Martin is aggressively expanding its supplier base. With solid rocket motors in especially high demand, the company has formed a partnership with General Dynamics OTS in Arkansas and is exploring additional sources globally, including established suppliers such as Avio (Italy), Roxel (France), and Tomer (Israel), as well as innovative startups. 

Hartley said Lockheed has created a dedicated Solid Rocket Motor Production Center and is funding several alternative propulsion concepts under IRAD [Independent Research and Development, US company-funded projects that are not directly tied to a government contract but could eventually meet future government needs – ed. note]. The company is also co-hosting industry days across Europe, targeting partnerships for subcomponent production and final assembly. 

On seekers, the PAC-3 supply chain, particularly Boeing’s Seeker subsystem, has faced past bottlenecks. Reynolds acknowledged the US Army is now looking for a second seeker supplier to ensure delivery at scale, with PAC-3 production expected to grow from 550 to 650 units per year by 2027, and potentially beyond. 

A modular and scalable future battlefield 

From a technological perspective, Lockheed Martin’s strategy is built around flexibility. Some missiles, like the upcoming PrSM Increment 2, will carry seekers for independent targeting. Others will rely on a network of airborne and ground-based sensors for guidance, reducing cost while increasing integration. 

Reynolds stressed that this networked environment can be coordinated via battle management centers, helping prevent fratricide or redundant engagements.  

“The right sensor, the right shooter, the right target, at the right time. That’s the goal,” Reynolds summarized. 

When asked about links between missile systems and F-35 users, both executives acknowledged the convergence of customers.  

“Yes, there’s a natural synergy,” Hartley said. “We’re leveraging the relationships the F-35 program has built across Europe.” 

Urgency meets capability 

The strategic context behind Lockheed Martin’s ramp-up reflects a global shift in military priorities. Ongoing conflicts have exposed the limits of peacetime procurement models and underscored the need for mass, speed, and adaptability. 

The war in Ukraine has consumed vast quantities of munitions, prompting NATO countries and other allies to accelerate deliveries and expand industrial capacity.  

Meanwhile, the surge in long-range drone and missile attacks by Houthi forces in the Red Sea, targeting commercial shipping and naval task groups, has forced the US and its allies to divert interceptors and accelerate counter-drone capabilities.  

In parallel, the escalating confrontation between Israel and Iran has underlined the need for integrated strike and defense networks capable of absorbing saturation attacks. 

In this context, Lockheed Martin’s message is clear: the focus is no longer just about fielding the most advanced systems; it’s about ensuring they are available, scalable, and sustainable. 

“We are laser-focused on delivering what our customers need, when they need it,” Hartley said. “These systems are battle-proven, and we’re doing everything to shorten lead times, localize support, and make them operational faster.” The post Lockheed Martin outlines integrated firepower vision and production ramp-up  appeared first on AeroTime.

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