Lockheed Martin Automates NGSRI Missile Production
Lockheed Martin is using automation at its Camden, Arkansas facility to speed production of its QuadStar missile.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Manufacturing
Lockheed Martin's NGSRI team demonstrated an automation cell running alongside each tactical build at its Camden, Arkansas facility. The company says first-unit production flow has been compressed to nearly half the traditional duration.
Why it matters
The automation effort is intended to lower the unit cost of each QuadStar missile and accelerate delivery timelines as production ramps toward customer target rates. For Camden, it signals continued manufacturing activity at the facility as the NGSRI programme advances.
Lockheed Martin reports first-unit production flow for the QuadStar missile has been compressed to nearly half the traditional duration at its Camden facility. The exact traditional timeline and the magnitude of cost savings have not been disclosed.
The players
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is a major American aerospace and defense contractor headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, known for programs including the F-35 fighter and PAC-3 missile systems.
The details
The automation cell runs side by side with each tactical build and feeds real-time feedback to engineers, who use it to refine the assembly sequence. Real-time process data has helped identify bottlenecks, reduce rework and trim manpower needs, and every new component now passes a manufacturability review before reaching the line.
Timeline
Article on the Camden automation and NGSRI production progress published November 2, 2026.
Industry Context
The Camden facility draws on lessons from Lockheed Martin's PAC-3 MSE and GMLRS production programmes, extending that manufacturing experience to the new NGSRI QuadStar line. The approach builds on those earlier programmes rather than starting from a new production model.
For Camden residents, the automation push points to continued defense manufacturing employment at the facility, though the source notes manpower needs have been trimmed. The source does not specify any direct effect on local hiring or wages.
The takeaway
Automation in defense manufacturing is being used to shorten production timelines and cut rework, a shift that could reshape how quickly new munitions reach customers. Watch whether the promised cost and schedule gains hold as QuadStar production ramps up.
Further reading
For more on factory methods like these, explore Manufacturing coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by World Airnews.
