Officials from the U.S. Air Force, the state of Utah, real estate developer Woodbury Corporation and Lockheed Martin kicked off construction of a new building in the Falcon Hill National Aerospace Research Park at a ceremonial groundbreaking event on Dec. 2.
“The Falcon Hill project is a leading example of unprecedented partnerships making a difference in Utah communities,” said Gov. Gary R. Herbert. “We welcome Lockheed Martin's expansion at Falcon Hill and the potential it will bring to attract additional high-paying jobs to our state.”
The event followed an October announcement that Lockheed Martin's program management offices for the Air Force's Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) will be located in the building.
GBSD is a competition to replace the Air Force's Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system with a modern and capable integrated weapon system.
Lockheed Martin is leasing 25,000 sq. ft. (2,322.5 sq m) of office space and technology development capability in the new, 75,000-sq.-ft. (6,967.7 sq m) building. The facility will include high-tech laboratory space to enhance collaboration with local Air Force officials and facilitate Air Force ownership and access to the GBSD technical baseline. The company expects to move into the new facility in August 2017.
“The new facility at Falcon Hill is representative of Lockheed Martin's commitment to building our presence in Utah to support Air Force intercontinental ballistic missile contract competitions,” said John Karas, Lockheed Martin vice president and GBSD program manager. “If we are selected to move forward with GBSD, our office at Hill Air Force Base will allow for close collaboration with the Air Force, access to the strong aerospace and defense industry in the state and support from a vibrant community of veterans, engineers and scientists we will need to execute this important mission.”
The new office also will create opportunities for collaboration with Lockheed Martin employees in the Hill Air Force Base area who currently work on Minuteman III sustainment programs and aircraft like the F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor.
For more information, visit www.lockheedmartin.com/gbsd.
