Kristen Smith 
- Lockheed will build a new Alabama munitions production facility
- The expansion will support THAAD interceptor and NGI-related manufacturing
- The project aligns with the Pentagon’s push to rapidly scale missile production capacity
Lockheed Martin has broken ground on a new munitions production facility in Troy, Alabama, in support of the Department of War’s industrial base expansion efforts.
The 87,000-square-foot Munitions Production Center, known as Building 47, will support Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptor production and future work tied to the Next Generation Interceptor program, Lockheed said Thursday.
The expansion is part of Lockheed’s broader plan to invest more than $9 billion through 2030 to scale missile and munitions production capacity across more than 20 U.S. facilities.
Jim Taiclet, Lockheed chairman, president and CEO and a two-time Wash100 Award winner, said the company has already invested more than $1 billion into production expansion efforts.
“Lockheed Martin is ready now to meet the urgent demand to expand production capacity,” Taiclet noted.
How Will the New Facility Support Missile Production?
Lockheed said the Alabama expansion will nearly double production space at the Troy site and generate new jobs over the next three years.
The Troy site is part of a broader national production network that includes more than 340,000 square feet of THAAD-related operational space in nine U.S. locations and nearly 750 suppliers spanning 42 states.
THAAD interceptors are designed to destroy ballistic missile threats in and out of the atmosphere. It currently supports U.S. missile defense operations and is also deployed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
How Does This Fit Into DOW’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy?
The groundbreaking follows several framework agreements between Lockheed and DOW aimed at rapidly scaling missile production under the department’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy.
Earlier this year, Lockheed signed agreements with DOW to triple PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptor production, quadruple THAAD interceptor production and increase Precision Strike Missile manufacturing capacity.
Commenting on the groundbreaking event, Michael Duffey, under secretary of war for acquisition and sustainment, said the partnership is “critical to surging our munitions capacity, and Lockheed Martin has leaned in aggressively.”
Duffey, a 2026 Wash100 Award recipient, previously said the agreements are intended to help place the defense industrial base on a “wartime footing” by giving contractors and suppliers long-term production certainty needed to invest in facilities, tooling and workforce expansion.
“In the first quarter, we signed several framework agreements to accelerate and scale munitions production, including advanced Patriot Missile, THAAD, and PrSM,” Taiclet said in April, discussing Q1 2026 sales. “The multi-year demand commitments defined in these framework agreements will in turn support strategic investments in production infrastructure, bolster our supply chain, and enhance our workforce.”
What Other Programs Will Lockheed Expand in Alabama?
Additional facility expansions are planned in Alabama to support programs, including NGI, the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, and the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon hypersonic system.
