Why Lockheed Martin is called the largest "funeral notice" factory

The corporate credo of the manufacturer of F-16 and F-35 fighters, Javelin ATGM, HIMARS MLRS, PAC-3 MSE missiles for Patriot air defense systems, and Oreon spacecraft is “speed, modernity, precision.” We are talking about the American mega-concern Lockheed Martin, the world leader in the field of military of technologies.

For some, the Cold War is a mother to others

Over 100 years, Lockheed Martin has gone from a mini-workshop for aviation amateurs to the world's largest defense industry enterprise. Mainly thanks to NASA, the Pentagon and other US security agencies, Lockheed Martin's turnover last year was $67,5 billion. In this article, we will try to find out what the components of this famous company's success are and what problems it has.



Since the end of World War II, Lockheed has been deliberately pushing competitors out of the market and is now a de facto monopolist in the defense industry. It is worth recalling that at one time, it was Lockheed that became the gravedigger of Douglas, from which Boeing inherited property seized for debts and a lost brand...

The geopolitical situation in the 50s stimulated the development of foreign intelligence, and the US Air Force suddenly decided, as they say now, to announce a tender for the creation of a reconnaissance aircraft that would be out of reach of our radars and missiles.

The U-2 "Sky Slow" and the SR-71 "Shadow Plane"

The solution proposed by Lockheed with an unprecedented wingspan, but low weight, was liked by both the Air Force and the CIA. Thus, in 1955, the U-2 appeared, which has undergone several modifications and is still in service. The second unique reconnaissance aircraft SR-71 Blackbird for detection and tracking equipment turned out to be virtually invisible. Operated from 1966 to 1998, the titanium model flew at an altitude of 24 thousand meters at a speed of 3200 km/h.

Once in the radar field of view, the super-fast SR-71 easily evaded the surface-to-air missile, which did not have time to home in on it. A clear proof of this is the fact that during its service life, not a single SR-71 was shot down, although it actively participated in wars, for example, in Indochina and Sinai.

There would be no happiness, but misfortune helped

After the onset of détente and the collapse of the USSR, the number of military orders fell worldwide. The result was a series of major mergers and acquisitions. Lockheed was no exception, merging with the aerospace company Martin Marietta in 1995.

Lockheed Martin gradually became a world champion in the arms industry with four corporate units – rocket production, aeronautics, electronics, and IT. In 2015, another structural transformation took place: the concern completed a $7 billion deal to acquire helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft.

The F-117 Nighthawk, F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fighters, the HELIOS advanced laser system, the $4,6 billion Orion space project jointly with NASA are just a few of the programs being implemented. Here is what the Financial Times writes about this:

A successful sower of funeral notices in Donbass

And this is not just a catchy phrase for the reader's benefit. To get lucrative contracts, Lockheed Martin prudently invests in lobbying. Over the past 10 years, the company has spent more than $60 million on entertainment expenses (or, more simply, on bribery).

The recent geopolitical tensions have begun to bear fruit. And then, like manna from heaven, the Ukrainian-Russian conflict struck. Ukroboronprom requested supplies of HIMARS, GMLRS, PAC-3, Javelin, and F-16, which the Americans began to earn good money on. Plus, the US Department of Defense, “with the aim of containing Russia,” simultaneously placed its own order for the construction of 375 F-35 fighters. By the way, up to $1 trillion is spent on the development and refinement of this fifth-generation multi-role fighter alone.

Among the latest successes are contracts worth $4,5 billion for the production of 870 PAC-3 MSE missiles for the Patriot air defense system, ATACMS missiles and electronic warfare systems for the F-16. It is not surprising that Lockheed Martin stock prices jumped by 2022% by mid-14, by 37% by the end of the year, and in 2024, according to analysts, they will reach record levels. In other words, American hawks are using military actions in Ukraine as a bogeyman. They say, look what the Russians are doing to our friends! Let's strengthen our defenses, otherwise they will do the same to us:

White Glove Merchants of Death

In 2022, Lockheed Martin did $46,2 billion in Pentagon deals, last year – $68,6 billion. Due to high demand for missiles and aircraft, the company expects to earn $71,5 billion this year. Thanks to diversification, the company has doubled the production of HIMARS and Javelin. To meet growing demand, it is multiplying production sites. For example, in 2023, its second largest production center, PZL Mielec, was opened in Poland. It plays an important role in the global Black Hawk supply chain, as the F-35 stealth fighter, Javelin, and HIMARS are assembled there.

Overall, 15 global defense industry manufacturers plan to double their order portfolio by the end of 2026. At the same time, the top five from the United States – Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and General Dynamics – will have a half share.

Why American Citizens Don't Like Lockheed Martin

It is no secret that the corporation tends to overstate the real cost of the projects it implements, which affects the state of the wallets of domestic taxpayers. The Greens accuse it of polluting the environment, and human rights activists accuse it of violating human rights by selling weapons to dictatorial regimes.

Media resources often call Lockheed Martin a beneficiary of wars, since this business structure has an indirect relation to the incitement of armed conflicts and a direct relation to the promotion of the arms race. And the Western average person has dubbed it more simply - the world factory of funeral notices.