Lockheed Martin Expands Grand Prairie Plant
The $300 million project adds production space and automated machining as the company ramps up missile manufacturing.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Manufacturing
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Lockheed Martin announced a $300 million investment to expand its Grand Prairie, Texas manufacturing facility, raising the site to more than 735,000 square feet. The company also plans to hire 6,000 people across the United States, including 2,000 in Texas.
Why it matters
The expansion supports production of components for the PAC-3 MSE, THAAD, PrSM, and JASSM missile programs, which feed final assembly sites in Arkansas and Alabama. It is part of a planned $8 billion to $9 billion in munitions production and facility spending through 2030.
The Grand Prairie facility manufactured approximately 250,000 parts in 2025 and employs nearly 800 production workers. Lockheed Martin expects to add nearly 100 machines at the site by the end of 2026, though the timing of hiring for the planned 2,000 Texas positions was not specified.
The players
Lockheed Martin
A major U.S. aerospace and defense contractor that builds missile systems, aircraft, and space technologies, and is the primary manufacturer behind the PAC-3 MSE, THAAD, PrSM, and JASSM programs.
Hadrian
A U.S. manufacturing technology company that developed the 24-machine automated machining cell being installed at the Grand Prairie facility.
The details
The project adds 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space and converts 85,000 square feet of office space for production use. A 24-machine automated machining cell developed with Hadrian, a U.S. manufacturing technology company, is expected to become operational in early 2027 under a seven-year agreement signed in 2025.
Timeline
2025: Lockheed Martin and Hadrian signed the seven-year automation agreement.
End of 2026: Lockheed Martin expects to add nearly 100 machines at the Grand Prairie site.
Early 2027: The 24-machine automated machining cell is expected to become operational.
Through 2030: Lockheed Martin plans $8 billion to $9 billion in munitions and facility investment.
Roadmap
The investment reflects a broader U.S. push to rebuild munitions production capacity, with Lockheed Martin's planned $8 billion to $9 billion spending through 2030 tied directly to missile programs like THAAD and PAC-3 MSE. Automation through the Hadrian partnership positions the company to scale output of these systems without relying solely on added labor.
The expansion's hiring of 2,000 positions in Texas could create new production jobs for residents of the Grand Prairie area and surrounding communities. The plant's added output also shapes which missile components move to final assembly in Arkansas and Alabama.
The takeaway
Large manufacturing investments like this one turn on automation as much as headcount, so local workers and suppliers should watch for the machine rollout milestones in 2026 and 2027 as signals of where new production jobs will land.
What happens next
The 24-machine automated machining cell is expected to become operational in early 2027, and nearly 100 additional machines are slated to be added at the site by the end of 2026.
Further reading
For more on the industrial base behind this build-out, explore Manufacturing coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Themachinemaker.
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