Lockheed Martin
The world's largest defence contractor; maker of F-35, THAAD, and Patriot interceptors.
Last refreshed: 30 March 2026 · Appears in 3 active topics
Can Lockheed Martin quadruple THAAD output before the global interceptor stockpile runs dry?
Latest on Lockheed Martin
- What is Lockheed Martin?
- Lockheed Martin is the world's largest defence contractor, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Formed in 1995, it manufactures combat aircraft including the F-35, missile defence systems including THAAD and the Patriot, and space systems. It employs roughly 122,000 people and reported revenues of approximately $67 billion in 2024.Source: Lockheed Martin
- How many THAAD interceptors has the US used in the Iran war?
- Between 100 and 150 THAAD interceptors, approximately a quarter of the entire global arsenal, were expended in the first eight days of the Iran-Israel-US conflict in 2026. Lockheed Martin's Troy, Alabama facility produces around 48 per year; a former US official said the country had "shot several years' worth of production in the last few days."Source: Military Watch Magazine / CSIS
- How long will it take Lockheed Martin to replace THAAD interceptors?
- Lockheed Martin has agreed to quadruple THAAD production from 96 to 400 interceptors per year, but at the current rate of approximately 48 per year, replenishment of the stock expended in the 2026 Iran conflict would take an estimated two to three years. Delivery at the scaled-up rate will also take years to materialise.Source: Reuters / Military Watch Magazine
- How does the cost of a THAAD interceptor compare to Ukraine's drone interceptors?
- A single THAAD interceptor costs approximately $12 million; a PAC-3 MSE round costs $4-6 million. Ukraine has developed interceptor drones costing $1,000-$2,000 per unit. The contrast has driven US and Gulf interest in cheaper alternatives and sparked debate about the long-term viability of high-cost missile defence.Source: Reuters / Ukrainian defence industry
- Is Lockheed Martin supplying weapons to Israel?
- Human Rights Watch identified arms suppliers to Israel as potentially complicit in war crimes during operations in southern Lebanon. Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighters and munitions are among the US-manufactured systems used by the Israeli military, making it one of the contractors named in broader debates over arms supply.Source: Human Rights Watch
Background
Lockheed Martin is the United States' largest defence contractor, formed by the 1995 merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, it employs roughly 122,000 people and generates revenues exceeding $67 billion annually. Core products span combat aircraft (F-35), missile defence systems (THAAD, PAC-3 MSE), rotary-wing platforms, and space systems.
The 2026 Iran conflict placed Lockheed at the centre of a global munitions crisis. Between 100 and 150 THAAD interceptors, a quarter of the entire world stock, were expended in eight days of fighting; Lockheed's Troy, Alabama plant produces only around 48 per year . The company agreed to quadruple production to 400 annually, but delivery will take years . PAC-3 MSE stocks for Ukraine are simultaneously being diverted, with Zelenskyy warning the Iran conflict consumed more Patriot Rounds in three days than Ukraine received in three years .
The crisis raised a structural question: whether single-source production of the West's most critical interceptors is itself a vulnerability. Ukraine's $1,000 interceptor drones against Lockheed's $12 million THAAD Rounds have driven US and Gulf interest in cheaper alternatives , threatening the unit-economics underpinning Lockheed's missile division.
