The 215,000 square foot building will serve the company’s advanced-projects division, dubbed Skunk Works.
Lockheed Martin says the “intelligent, flexible factory has digital foundations to incorporate smart manufacturing components, embrace the Internet of Things and deliver cutting edge solutions rapidly and affordably”.
“This new building incorporates all three of Lockheed Martin’s advanced production priorities: an intelligent factory framework; a technology enabled advanced manufacturing environment; and a flexible factory construct to support customer priorities with speed and agility while bolstering manufacturing capability in the United States,” says the company.
Specifically, it will feature the use of digital tools, robotics, AI and AR and augmented reality, all to reduce the need for hard tooling.
“For more than 100 years, Lockheed Martin has been proud to call California home,” said Jeff Babione, vp and general manager, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. “Our partnership with the state has helped us remain competitive and has positioned us for long-term growth. The technology in our new Palmdale facility lets us go beyond manufacturing optimization to the next digital revolution, driving innovation and preserving California’s leadership in the aerospace industry.”
In addition to manufacturing, it includes office and break spaces for 450 employees.
The Palmdale factory is one of four new manufacturing facilities the company is planning to open in the U.S. this year, it says.
It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, employing 114,000 people worldwide.
See also: Lockheed Martin opens STAR Center manufacturing for Orion spacecraft