Aerospace and defense tech giant Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has opened a new Rapid Fielding Center at its sprawling campus in Grand Prairie. The facility aims to streamline the end-to-end development, testing, and prototype production of next-generation systems and solutions for the U.S. government.

The campus west of Dallas covers more than 300 acres and features the company’s Missiles and Fire Control headquarters—where Lockheed is quadrupling its production of Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM), which recently had their combat debut in the war with Iran. 

Russia’s war with Ukraine and America’s ongoing conflict with Iran have demonstrated the urgency of accelerating advances in military technology—from drones to missiles to integrated air defense systems. 

Lockheed’s new Rapid Fielding Center aims to address those challenges via a flexible, modular environment using the latest in production and prototyping technologies. Lockheed said the facility will enable it to develop and scale new capabilities quickly in response to the government’s accelerated acquisition schedules, “setting a new industry standard for speed to field as the country builds the Arsenal of Freedom.”

A rendering shows how Lockheed Martin’s Rapid Fielding Center can be customized for unique development programs, accelerating the timeline from concept to production. [Image: Lockheed Martin]

‘Integrated with the manufacting floor’

The Rapid Fielding Center is integrated with the manufacturing floor, “providing proximity to advanced production equipment and skilled tradespeople to allow for immediate feedback on design,” Lockheed said. The integration aims to reduce costs while accelerating the delivery of innovative capabilities to the U.S. military.

Randy Crites, VP of advanced programs at Lockheed, said the center “showcases how Lockheed Martin is leading the industry with innovation, speed and a relentless customer focus.”

“From concept to low-rate production, we can now deliver mission-critical solutions in a fraction of the traditional timeline, directly supporting the government’s urgent ramp-up needs,” he added in a statement.

Developing prototypes in months, not years

Prototypes that once required years of development can now be designed, fabricated, and validated within months, Lockheed said, delivering capability upgrades on an accelerated timetable.

The Rapid Fielding Center’s modular layout can be reconfigured quickly when needed to meet evolving program needs—optimizing manufacturing flow before handoff to the final-production site.

During the prototyping process, captured life-cycle data enables digital feedback. That allows product enhancements to be inserted rapidly, directly addressing threat environments that are constantly evolving.

$7 billion invested since Trump’s first term

Lockheed said it has invested more than $7 billion since President Trump’s first term to expand capacity for priority systems—including around $2 billion dedicated to accelerating munitions production. The company is planning a “multibillion-dollar investment” over the next three years to expand production and build and modernize more than 20 facilities in Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Massachusetts.

Those efforts include upgrading existing facilities and incorporating advanced manufacturing techniques, production lines, tooling, and plant layouts to meet “urgent production demand,” the company said.

“Over the coming months, our multidisciplinary teams will work hand in hand with U.S. partners to execute additional prototype runs, integrate emerging technologies, and transition capabilities to full-rate production,” said Mike Patton, VP of Lockheed’s Missiles and Fire Control Operations. “The Rapid Fielding Center gives our customers the agility, flexibility and discreet mobility they require to maintain decisive advantage across any operational domain.”

Lockheed Martin is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.

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