Inside Lockheed Martin’s most impactful first quarter 2026 innovations
From munitions ramp-ups to capabilities proven, Lockheed Martin’s Q1 showcased the power of investment and innovation.
1. Answering the Nation’s Call to Build the Arsenal of Freedom
After signing a landmark munitions framework agreement with the U.S. Department of War, we are rapidly accelerating production. Over the next seven years, Lockheed Martin will triple PAC-3 MSE and quadruple THAAD and PrSM production capacities, leveraging next-generation technologies to build faster and better.
2. Splashdown! Orion Spacecraft Safely Returns Astronauts Back to Earth in NASA’s Artemis II Mission
Throughout the first quarter, our Space team supported ongoing Artemis II preparations for Orion with NASA, and saw the crew complete a successful mission that will contribute to future lunar exploration and advance American leadership in space. The 694,481 mile mission to the Moon and back was the first to bring humans beyond low-Earth orbit in half a century, and the Lockheed Martin-built Orion spacecraft is the only spacecraft capable of taking humans into deep space.
3. A Startup-Style Team Reimagines Hypersonic Defense
A hypersonic threat moves faster than 3,800 mph. We’ve bet big on answering that threat with Pitch Black, a counter-hypersonic platform unveiled this quarter. But it’s not one program; it’s an integrated web of 14 different areas designed to provide an integrated architecture of hypersonic defense. In just three years, a small team within Lockheed Martin delivered capabilities, won key programs and set a new standard for how complex defense problems can be tackled.
4. The Have Remy Test Management Project
In a recent exercise with the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (TPS), our autonomous missile evasion technology was tested inflight for the first time aboard the X-62A VISTA. TPS students experienced first‑hand how AI moves from theory to flight‑ready capability with the partnership of Skunk Works'® engineers. The project advances human-machine teaming, making future missions safer and more effective.
5. Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) Capabilities and Real-Time Decision Making Accelerate at Lightning Surge 1
We are leading the team demonstrating our NGC2 prototype in the U.S. Army’s six‑exercise “Lightning Surge” series. The exercise series incrementally adds new capabilities to the modular NGC2 prototype, scaling from joint‑fires to full multi‑domain lethality while continuously incorporating soldier feedback.
6. The Deep Doesn’t Let Go – LampreyMMAUV is Unveiled
Lockheed Martin unveiled the Lamprey Multi Mission Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (MMAUV), a breakthrough “plug-and play” submersible that gives U.S. and allied warfighters technological and strategic advantage in today’s contested maritime arena. By providing persistent, autonomous undersea presence at dramatically lower cost than manned platforms, LampreyMMAUV denies areas and controls the seabed.
7. Sikorsky Completes Integration of MATRIX Autonomy Suite on U.S. Army’s UH-60MX Black Hawk Helicopter
Sikorsky delivered the U.S. Army’s experimental UH-60MX Black Hawk® helicopter fully integrated with our MATRIX™ autonomy suite. The delivery of the UH-60MX aircraft, owned and operated by the Army, marks a milestone in the Army’s pursuit of open‑architecture, mission‑supported autonomy and optionally piloted flight.
8. PrSM Increment 2 Takes Flight and Advances Army’s Moving Target and Maritime Capability
In a major milestone for the U.S. Army’s long-range fires program, we successfully completed the first flight test of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 2, demonstrating its new multi-mode seeker and ability to engage moving maritime targets.
9. The Newest GPS Satellite Reaches Orbit, Strengthening Warfighter Connectivity
We launched the ninth GPS III space vehicle (SV09) into orbit, adding a capability that enables people to connect and gives warfighters the ability to operate in harsh conditions. For the military, GPS III SV09 delivers advanced security and anti-jamming features, which bring uninterrupted, precise navigation and timing in contested or denied environments, safeguarding national security and defense missions. Each additional GPS III satellite delivers increased accuracy with resilient signals that enable essential services such as aviation, precision agriculture and telecommunications timing.
10. Volunteers Pack 2,000 Care Packages for Deployed Service Members
After an increase in requests for support with many service members deployed in the Middle East, the USO shared that their warehouse supplies had been depleted. Our volunteers packaged more than 2,000 care packages to support those deployed servicemembers. Those care packets were slated to be sent immediately to servicemembers upon arrival at the warehouse.
