Lockheed Martin said it has received the first delivery of components produced by General Motors for the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor missile less than one month after a formal contract between the two companies was signed.
The company said the components can traditionally take months to years to produce.
"This extraordinary 22‑day turnaround underscores Lockheed Martin's relentless focus on execution – delivering for our troops faster, with greater capacity," said Tim Cahill, president at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, in a statement. "Our partnership with GM Defense is a concrete example of how we're merging world-class commercial manufacturing with defense supply chain and production practices and rapidly translating that into battlefield readiness for the United States."
Lockheed Martin is partnering with the Pentagon to use commercial-style contracts for PAC-3 MSE, THAAD and PrSM. The company said it is investing between $8 billion and $9 billion to scale munitions production, with new buildings, expansions and jobs at more than 20 sites across America. It expects production and warehousing space for munitions production to increase almost 50% after planned expansions.
GM Defense and Lockheed Martin first announced their expected partnership in June. They said the collaboration will focus on strengthening defense supply chains, advancing manufacturing and design capabilities, and evaluating opportunities to expand production capacity through commercial manufacturing expertise and infrastructure.
