TROY, Ala., Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has broken ground for expansion of its cruise missile manufacturing facility in Troy, Ala., the company reports.
The new annex to the company's Long Range Strike Systems cruise missile production facility in Troy will be 62,000 square feet. The current production plant is 92,000 square feet.
The Alabama plant produces the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile. In the past, it also produced test missiles for the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile development program.
"Our cruise missile family of systems, in production and in development, plays a critical role in the nation's defense strategy," said Frank St. John, vice president of tactical missiles and combat maneuver systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "With this expansion, we plan to leverage our mature and reliable cruise missile production experience to offer affordable, low-risk, long-term capability to warfighters."
Lockheed said the expansion of the plant is in response to an increased demand for cruise missiles and is expected to increase employment at the plant by about 10 percent over the next few years.
Actual construction of the annex begins next year.
