Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company with headquarter located in Bethesda, Maryland. The company has 114,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. Lockheed Martin has likely ranked the number one position for aircraft manufacturers in 2021, due to their massive revenue. It delivers approximately 500 aircraft to buyers per year. In addition to making aircraft, Lockheed Martin also specializes in military-grade security, with around 78% of its annual revenue is derived from US military contracts. They do not manufacture commercial aircraft - only military and security aircraft.
Their most prominent models are the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, built-in collaboration with NASA, and the F22 Raptor, which is exclusively used by the US air force. The SR-71 is one of the highest-flying planes to have ever been built. It can fly at a much higher altitude than standard military aircraft. The shape of the SR-71 was based on that of the A-12, which was one of the first aircraft to be designed with a reduced radar cross-section. At one point, a bomber variant of the aircraft was under consideration, before the program was focused solely on reconnaissance. Mission equipment for the reconnaissance role included signals intelligence sensors, a side-looking airborne radar, and a photo camera; the SR-71 was both longer and heavier than the A-12, allowing it to hold more fuel as well as a two-seat cockpit.
They also built the first-ever 'stealth' aircraft, the F117, also known as the 'nighthawk'. The F-117 was based on the Have Blue technology demonstrator. It is shaped to deflect radar signals and is approximately the size of an F-15 Eagle.
The single-seat Nighthawk is powered by two non-afterburning General Electric F404 turbofan engines. It is air refuelable and features a V-tail. The maximum speed is 623 mph (1,003 km/h; 541 kn) at high altitude, the max rate of climb is 2,820 feet (860 m) per minute, and service ceiling is 43,000 to 45,000 feet (13,000 to 14,000 m)
One of its other most popular models, the F-16, has an average lifetime of around 8,000-10,000 flight hours. It is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,600 aircraft have been built since production was approved in 1976. The Fighting Falcon's key features include a frameless bubble canopy for better visibility, side-mounted control stick to ease control while maneuvering, an ejection seat reclined 30 degrees from vertical to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot, and the first use of a relaxed static stability/fly-by-wire flight control system that helps to make it an agile aircraft. The F-16 has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and 11 locations for mounting weapons and other mission equipment.
Lockheed Martin plans to continue to expand the production of the F-35, one of their most popular models in 2021 which services 13 nation's air forces, after winning a $2.5 billion contract in June 2021, despite complaints that the model is too expensive to keep running. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
Brand origin: USA
Revenue: $65.4 billion USD (2020)
Website: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/
