Lockheed Martin to move 560 jobs

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FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Defense contractor Lockheed Martin, makers of the F-22, F-16 and F-35 military jets, said it would move 560 jobs from Georgia to Texas.

"Now we are at a stage of supporting the aircraft that are in the field and looking at opportunities to make improvements in the aircraft," said Lockheed spokesman Joe Stout.

The jobs being moved from Marietta, Ga., to Fort Worth, Texas, include engineering and administrative jobs, but no hourly positions, the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported Wednesday.

With the $66 billion F-22 production line closed down, Lockheed Martin is now looking for ways to profit through servicing and upgrading the aircraft, which could be in operation for another 25 years, Stout said.

"During that time, they're going to need a lot of support. ... Electronic technology is going to change. There might be an opportunity to replace a system or capability on the F-22 with something faster and better," he said.

The F-22, called the Raptor, was partially built in Fort Worth, where the company has 14,200 employees.

Employees in Georgia were given until Jan. 7 to decide whether they would move to Texas. If they chose to say, they could be reassigned or laid off, the newspaper said.