Lockheed Martin invests $300 million to expand Texas missile parts plant
Lockheed Martin is investing $300 million to expand its Grand Prairie, Texas, plant, which supports all programmes in its Missiles and Fire Control business, the company said in a press release dated October 14, 2026.
The company said the expansion will help the site reach record production levels and send components to final-assembly sites in Camden, Arkansas, and Troy, Alabama. Defense News reported the story on October 15.
Lockheed Martin Grand Prairie Expansion
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Company | Lockheed Martin |
| Site | Grand Prairie, Texas |
| Investment | $300 million |
| Footprint | More than 735,000 square feet |
| Space added | 100,000 square feet of new space, plus 85,000 square feet of office space converted to manufacturing |
| Workforce | Nearly 800 production employees |
| Output in 2025 | 250,000 parts |
| Machines | More than 30 added in recent months; nearly 100 expected by the end of 2026 |
| Announced | October 14, 2026 |
The release describes more floor space for automation, digital manufacturing and high-precision machining. Lockheed Martin said it has already turned former office space into production areas and that the new machines are producing thousands of components a week. The release does not give a completion date for the building work.
“Lockheed Martin has brought together commercial speed and combat-proven performance because America needs both,” said Jim Taiclet, chairman, president and CEO.
What Grand Prairie Makes for Missile Programmes
Grand Prairie supports all Missiles and Fire Control programmes, the company said, including PAC-3 MSE, THAAD, PrSM and JATM. Defense News identifies JATM as the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile. The plant makes components, not whole missiles. Those go to final-assembly sites such as Camden and Troy.
Lockheed Martin presents the $300 million as part of a plan to invest $8 billion to $9 billion through 2030 to scale munitions production and modernise or expand more than 20 US facilities. It also announced plans for 6,000 jobs across the United States, 2,000 in Texas.
Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, said: “This expansion is more than just a new facility; it is a stronger supply chain and a more resilient industrial base.”
Hadrian Machining Cell at Grand Prairie
Hadrian, a manufacturing company that operates automated factories, will bring a 24-machine automated machining cell to the site. Lockheed Martin employees will run it. The company said the cell is expected to be operational in early 2027.
Hadrian CEO Chris Power said: “The warfighter can’t wait on peacetime timelines.” The release says the announcement follows a seven-year agreement the two companies signed in 2025. Defense News describes the earlier step as a memorandum of understanding signed in December 2025, so the exact legal form of that deal is not clear from the sources.
Pentagon Missile Agreements Behind the Buildout
Lockheed Martin said it is working with Pentagon leadership on commercially inspired contracting for four missile lines. Its release gives no values. The figures below come from Defense News, which reported that the framework agreements were signed with the Defense Department from January and are meant to lead to long-term contracts.
| Programme | Agreement | Reported contract or target |
|---|---|---|
| PAC-3 MSE | Framework agreement signed in January | Raise output from about 600 to roughly 2,000 interceptors a year over seven years; $4.7 billion Army contract in April, converted in July to a seven-year deal worth about $58.6 billion |
| THAAD | Framework signed in January | Missile Defense Agency contract in June worth more than $35 billion to quadruple interceptor production |
| PrSM | Agreement announced March 25 | No contract value reported |
| JATM (AIM-260) | Agreement announced September 17 | No contract value reported |
Lockheed Martin Company Profile
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bethesda, Maryland |
| Founded | 1995 (merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta) |
| Employees | About 123,000 (2025) |
| Revenue | About $75.05 billion (2025) |
| CEO | Jim Taiclet |
| Segments | Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, Space |
| Known programmes | F-35 Lightning II, PAC-3 MSE, Orion spacecraft, Trident II |
What the Texas Plant Does Not Show Yet
The release is a statement of intent and progress, and it leaves gaps. Lockheed Martin did not say how many of the 2,000 Texas jobs will be at Grand Prairie, a point also noted by Defence Industry Europe, and it gave no hiring schedule. Its output figure counts parts, not missiles.
The Pentagon figures suggest why the company wants more machining capacity. A plan to take PAC-3 MSE from about 600 to roughly 2,000 interceptors a year implies a large rise in parts. That reading is analysis. Lockheed Martin has not published a target for parts output at Grand Prairie.
Texas Missile Plant Expansion FAQ
How much is Lockheed Martin investing in Grand Prairie?
$300 million, according to the company’s October 14, 2026 press release.
What does the Grand Prairie plant make?
It makes components for Missiles and Fire Control programmes including PAC-3 MSE, THAAD, PrSM and JATM, and ships them to final-assembly sites such as Camden, Arkansas, and Troy, Alabama.
What is Hadrian’s role?
Hadrian will install a 24-machine automated machining cell, run by Lockheed Martin staff and expected to be operational in early 2027.
How many jobs are involved?
Lockheed Martin announced plans for 6,000 jobs across the United States, including 2,000 in Texas. It did not say how many will be at Grand Prairie.
Is the work finished?
No. The company said it has added more than 30 machines and expects nearly 100 by the end of 2026, while the Hadrian cell comes in early 2027.
- Lockheed Martin – “Lockheed Martin Expands Advanced Munitions Manufacturing in Texas, Driving Thousands of New American Jobs” (press release, October 14, 2026): news.lockheedmartin.com
- Defense News – “Lockheed invests $300M in Texas plant to feed missile surge” (October 15, 2026)
- Defence Industry Europe – “Lockheed Martin says munitions manufacturing expansion will create 6,000 U.S. jobs”
- Wikipedia – Lockheed Martin (company data)
