Allan and Malcolm Loughead found Alco Hydro-Aeroplane in California (renamed Loughead Aircraft 1916; Lockheed Aircraft 1926). Glenn L. Martin Co founded same year produces JN-4 trainer, B-26 Marauder, B-57 Canberra.

Lockheed Skunk Works (Advanced Development Programs) founded in Burbank by Kelly Johnson; designs P-80 Shooting Star (first US ops jet fighter) in 143 days, then U-2 (1955), SR-71 Blackbird (1964), F-117 Nighthawk (1981), F-22 (1990).

C-130 Hercules production reaches 1,000th delivery; Lockheed's longest production run, ultimately 2,700+ built across 60+ years through C-130J Super Hercules variants.

Lockheed Corp + Martin Marietta merger closes Mar 15 1995 in $10B deal forming Lockheed Martin Corp; creates world's largest defense contractor with $23B revenue, HQ Bethesda MD; Norman Augustine becomes CEO.

F-22 Raptor low-rate initial production authorized; stealth air-superiority fighter enters production phase

Wins Joint Strike Fighter (F-35 Lightning II) System Development & Demonstration contract Oct 26 2001 over Boeing X-32; multi-decade $1.7T+ life-cycle program of record across F-35A/B/C variants for 13 partner nations.

F-22 Raptor enters operational service with USAF; first 5th-generation fighter in the world to achieve IOC

F-35A first flight at Fort Worth; conventional takeoff/landing variant begins flight test

F-22 Raptor production capped at 187 aircraft by SecDef Robert Gates; line officially closed 2012 after $67B program cost — single most expensive air-superiority fighter program ever.

Wins MEADS Medium Extended Air Defense System contract; tri-national US/Germany/Italy program ultimately cancelled 2014, but PAC-3 MSE missile derived from it becomes Patriot's top-tier interceptor.

Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion first flight; heavy-lift Marine helicopter program (LMT acquires Sikorsky 2015 for $9B from UTC).

F-35B Lightning II declared Initial Operating Capability with USMC; first 5th-gen STOVL fighter operational

Acquires Sikorsky Aircraft from United Technologies for $9B; adds H-60 Black Hawk, CH-53K King Stallion, Combat Rescue Helicopter to portfolio.

F-35A declared Initial Operating Capability with USAF Hill AFB; conventional variant operational

Announces $4.4B acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne to vertically integrate solid rocket motor capacity

Saudi Arabia THAAD Foreign Military Sale finalized Oct 2018; $15B air-defense package — first FMS for THAAD outside UAE.

Wins Air Force HACM/AGM-183A ARRW (Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon) hypersonic boost-glide program; later cancelled 2024 after test failures, Pentagon shifts to HACM (RTX).

FTC blocks Aerojet Rocketdyne acquisition Jan 2022 citing competition concerns; LMT abandons deal Feb 2022.

Russia invades Ukraine; defense industry inflection: backlog growth, munition stockpile rebuilds, NATO 2% target adoption

Announces PAC-3 MSE production capacity expansion from 350 to 550/yr post-Ukraine demand surge

HIMARS combat use in Ukraine validates GMLRS/ATACMS munitions; LMT scales HIMARS launcher production from 60/yr to 96/yr.

Germany finalizes purchase of 35 F-35A aircraft for ~$8.4B replacing Tornado nuclear-strike role

F-35 deliveries resume after year-long pause from TR-3 software/hardware upgrade certification issues

F-35 program reaches 1,100+ aircraft delivered globally; cumulative flight hours exceed 950,000.

Loses NGAD/F-47 contract to Boeing Mar 21 2025; CEO Jim Taiclet pivots to '5th-gen-plus' upgrade strategy for F-35/F-22

PAC-3 MSE annual production capacity expanded toward 650+ units; backlog stretches into 2027+

Wins $1.7B contract for additional THAAD interceptors; Israel and Saudi defenders deplete stockpile during 2024-25 Iran exchanges.

Backlog hits record $184B at YE 2025; F-35 sustainment contracts and Patriot/PAC-3 export demand drive growth