Lockheed Martin’s Camden factory gets $364 million Pentagon missile contract

Lockheed Martin announced that it has received a $364 million contract to produce the U.S. Army’s Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile at the defense giant’s sprawling industrial site in Camden, Ark.

ATACMS is the U.S. Army’s only tactical long-range, deep precision-strike surface-to-surface weapon system. The long-range missiles can be fired from the entire family of Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launchers, enabling battlefield commanders the capability to operate in contested environments.

Nearly a year ago, Lockheed Martin delivered the first Army Tactical Missile System missile to the U.S. Army from the South Arkansas production facility. The company is under contract to deliver 124 new ATACMS missiles to the U.S. Army and an international customer, and is currently in full-rate production at the Camden facility.

Under the new contract, the missiles will be produced for the U.S. Army and a so-called “foreign military sales” ally. It will allow the Pentagon to upgrade its existing Block 1 missiles with modern technology and double the range, while extending the missiles’ shelf life by more than 10 years and providing warfighters the latest surface-to-surface missile capability.

According to company officials, Lockheed Martin has produced more than 3,850 ATACMS missiles. More than 600 ATACMS have been fired in combat, and the system has demonstrated extremely high rates of accuracy and reliability while in theater.