Opportunity brings highly skilled aerospace
manufacturing work to Arkansas
BETHESDA, Md., May 18, 2022
/PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Airbus leaders
announced today the aerial refueling boom system for the LMXT
strategic tanker aircraft will be manufactured by Airbus
in western Arkansas.
Introduced in September 2021, the LMXT is Lockheed Martin's
offering for the U.S. Air Force's KC-Y strategic tanker
program.
"Given the undisputed importance of the U.S. Air Force's
strategic refueling mission, ensuring the LMXT is equipped with
critical and relevant technologies for its refueling system is of
paramount importance. Like the LMXT airframe, this refueling system
is proven and low-risk, translating to known and added capabilities
for the U.S. Air Force," said Lockheed Martin Chairman, President,
and CEO James Taiclet. "With this commitment, Arkansas' manufacturing community has the
opportunity to contribute to building America's next strategic
tanker."
The LMXT is built on the combat-proven design of the Airbus
A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), which is the
strategic tanking choice of 14 nations around the world. Offering
several distinct U.S. Air Force-only capabilities designed to meet
operator requirements, the LMXT offers advantages like an
established fly-by-wire aerial refueling boom. Currently certified
and used by allies to refuel U.S. Air Force aircraft in operations
globally, the world's first fully automatic air-to-air refueling
(A3R) system is a discrete asset.
"We are excited to continue expanding our U.S. footprint by
partnering with the state of Arkansas to create the LMXT refueling boom
production site and center of excellence. It is an honor to bring
Airbus innovation to the state for this and future manufacturing
opportunities," said C. Jeffrey Knittel, chairman and CEO of
Airbus Americas. "The state-of-the-art boom system is a vital
aspect of the overall LMXT offering, and we are proud to be working
with Arkansans to build this best-in-class solution for the U.S.
Air Force."
While the exact location of the manufacturing facility has yet
to be determined, it will expand Airbus' footprint into "The
Natural State." Manufacturing plays a significant role in the
Arkansas economy, accounting for
about 15% of the state's economic output. More than 12% of all
Arkansas residents are employed by
the manufacturing industry, according to the Arkansas Economic
Development Commission.
"Lockheed Martin consistently sets the standard for aerospace
and defense worldwide and significantly contributes to Arkansas' robust aerospace and defense
industry," said Arkansas Gov.
Asa Hutchinson. "Arkansas has the tools in place to help
high-tech manufacturing succeed, and I'm pleased that Lockheed
Martin and Airbus see themselves growing here in our state as they
look to the future in the defense industry."
Lockheed Martin's manufacturing presence in Arkansas dates back to 1978 with its Camden
Operations facility. This facility is a manufacturing, final
assembly, test and storage operation for Lockheed Martin Missiles
and Fire Control (MFC) programs. Approximately 1,030 employees work
in the facility's manufacturing and support buildings.
"I am thrilled Arkansas has
been selected to manufacture the LMXT's boom, bringing well-paying
jobs to our state and strengthening our economy. Most importantly,
I'm proud Arkansas will continue
to increase our contributions in support of America's men and women
in uniform and our national defense," said U.S. Sen. John Boozman, who serves as the senior senator
from Arkansas.
The LMXT aerial refueling system work is the first manufacturing
opportunity for Airbus in Arkansas, but builds on an extensive
manufacturing presence across the southeastern United States. Airbus builds the A320 and A220
airliners in Alabama, H125 and
UH-72 Lakota helicopters in Mississippi, and satellites in Florida. The workforce across these facilities
is more than 30% U.S. military veterans.
"Flights of freedom will be sustained by equipment made right
here in Arkansas! This
announcement further strengthens the Third District's role in our
nation's defense, and our community's strong workforce and
infrastructure are ready to support the manufacturing of the
state-of-the-art LMXT system," said U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, who represents Arkansas' 3rd Congressional District.
"Arkansans are proud knowing the leading role they'll have in
building the next generation of the Air Force's capabilities. I
look forward to a fair and open competition that I'm sure the LMXT
will win."
This announcement follows Lockheed Martin's and Airbus' recently
publicized plan to expand their footprints in Georgia and Alabama to support future LMXT assembly and
configuration. The LMXT will be built in two
phases:
- Phase 1: The LMXT is first produced as an A330
airliner at Airbus' Mobile, Alabama, facility, which is where Airbus A320
and A220 commercial airliners are built.
- Phase 2: The second phase of the manufacturing
process includes converting the commercial aircraft into the LMXT
tanker at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics' Marietta, Georgia, facility, which is currently home to
the C-130J Super Hercules final production and F-35 Lightning II
center wing assembly lines.
Integration of the Arkansas-built boom will be included in Phase
2 of the assembly and configuration process.
The LMXT complements the U.S. Air Force's tanker capabilities by
providing the most advanced aerial refueler to meet America's
immediate and long-term mission requirements. The LMXT strengthens
and expands the U.S. aerospace industrial base by working with
existing and new American suppliers.
"Arkansans are proud of the men and women who fight for our
freedoms and the civilian workers who support them," Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston said. "The LMXT tanker will be
built in America, by Americans, for Americans — a mission that
Arkansas encourages all
manufacturers to embrace as we seek to bring quality jobs back to
the U.S.A. and increase economic
opportunities for American workers and American
communities."
The LMXT offers a proven airframe with distinct U.S. Air
Force-only capabilities designed to meet operator requirements,
with advantages that also include:
- Significantly improved range and fuel offload capacity over
current tankers
- Operational and combat proven advanced camera and rear vision
system
- Open system architecture JADC2/NC3 systems
- Established allied interoperability and resilient global supply
chain
- A multi-domain operations node that connects the LMXT to the
larger battlespace, increasing onboard situational awareness to
provide resilient communications and datalink for assets across the
force
- A permanently installed aeromedevac suite enabling world-class
medical care with intercontinental reach
- Forklift accessible cargo capacity for six military pallets
with weights of up to 70 k/lbs. for
austere base support
- Unrivaled persistence in the battlespace and operational
performance enabling greater access to non-traditional bases
As the prime contractor, Lockheed Martin works directly to
implement U.S. Air Force-specific requirements within the LMXT. For
additional information, visit the LMXT website:
www.lockheedmartin.com/lmxt.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in
Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed
Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a global security and aerospace company that
employs approximately 114,000 people worldwide and is principally
engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture,
integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems,
products and services.
Please follow @LMNews on Twitter for the latest announcements
and news across Lockheed Martin.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics