LITTLETON, Colo. – Aug. 11, 2026 – Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) has announced a multimillion-dollar investment to develop a Modular Payload Delivery System (MPDS). This investment transforms proven hypersonic missile body technologies into a flexible weapons family of systems capable of supporting both offensive and defensive missions. 

Within today’s threat environment, speed to capability is the most valuable attribute to enabling the Department of War’s Arsenal of Freedom and delivering on munitions acceleration. That speed is critical to scaling hypersonics and transitioning new alternative payloads into warfighter capability.

MPDS re-architects key technologies within a modular framework, allowing the Department of War (DOW) and industry to integrate diverse payloads with minimal system impact. This approach allows a hypersonic airframe to scale for deep long-range strike missions, incorporate larger payloads for missions that require less range and incorporate missile defense applications, all while reducing the time and development costs that would traditionally be required to develop new capabilities.

"Our Modular Delivery System reflects our commitment to listening to our customers and delivering innovative solutions that meet evolving mission requirements," Johnathon Caldwell, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of Strategic and Missile Defense Systems said. “By investing in a modular payload delivery system built upon our proven hypersonic technologies and legacy, we're expanding operational utility, delivering affordability and accelerating advanced capabilities that would be historically burdened by development timelines and challenges."

AFFORDABILITY & SCALE

Built upon flight tested and proven hypersonic technologies, the cross-domain MPDS leverages a robust industrial base. Achieving mission success at an affordable price requires pairing qualified designs with smart manufacturing. To that end, MPDS’s modular design drastically reduces non-recurring engineering time and expense required to integrate new hypersonic payloads. By streamlining assembly, integration and testing, as well as leveraging automation to trim labor hours, this production model speeds up delivery times while maximizing the value of an existing airframe capability.

Lockheed stands ready to partner across government, industry and academia to accelerate the integration of MPDS with other advanced capabilities to yield unmatched deterrent capability.

WHY IT MATTERS

Lockheed Martin’s investment in MPDS underscores its commitment to developing scalable hypersonic solutions in support of the Department of War's Scaled Hypersonics Critical Technology Area and overall munitions acceleration initiative. This capability also reflects Lockheed Martin’s commitment to delivering discriminating technologies that accelerate warfighter capability through the Department of War's Arsenal of Freedom.

About Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st Century Security^® vision accelerate the delivery of transformative technologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready. More information at www.Lockheedmartin.com.