Besides being a major aircraft manufacturer, Lockheed Martin is also one of the world’s most prominent space and satellite companies, and these products also have several dual-use applications. For decades, Lockheed Martin has played a key role in developing and modernising GPS and weather satellite technology, both of which are now in widespread military and civilian use. For instance, the company’s GPS IIR series has been used globally since 1997 for purposes including air traffic control, “precision weapon guidance” for the military, and geolocation services to internet users. Similarly, Lockheed Martin has been designing, building and launching spacecraft to monitor the weather and environmental conditions for the US military and government agencies for more than 50 years.

Partnerships & programmes

In its 2025 annual report, Lockheed Martin stated that the success of the company depends partly upon its ability to invest in emerging technologies and to operate within commercial markets. One way in which the company has done this is through Lockheed Martin ventures (LVM) - a $400m evergreen venture capital fund that is “looking for what we call ‘dual use’ technologies” to invest in. Since it was created in 2007, it has provided funds to over 120 companies. These consist of a carefully compiled list that aligns with Lockheed Martin’s business interests and anticipated future challenges.

Notable companies that have received funding from LVM include Skydio, the notorious tech start-up that rapidly became a leading dual-use drone manufacturer, which we profiled as part of this series. LVM has also funded Firestorm Labs - which secured a $100m contract with the US Air Force in 2025 to develop 3D printed drones - and Fortem Technologies, whose drone hunters have been bought for the US DoD’s Replicator programme.

Lockheed’s innovation programme, LM Evolve, was launched in 2022 to “identify, accelerate, and scale transformative technologies” and “fast-track” dual-use technologies “to meet urgent customer needs and global security challenges”. One of its portfolio companies is Astris AI, a new subsidiary which provides AI infrastructure for use across US defence and commercial industries. Among the first to adopt the Astris AI platform was XBow Systems - another LVM start-up - which makes solid rocket motors for missiles and rockets with military and commercial uses.

In December 2025, Astris AI launched Astris AI for Government, which offers secure machine learning and generative AI platforms (developed in-house alongside Meta, Oracle and NVIDIA) that facilitates the large-scale deployment of AI applications.

Other critical issues

In 2024, Lockheed Martin was called on by UN experts to end transfers of dual-use technology to Israel, even if they are executed under existing export licenses. In 2025 the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories released a report on the firms complicit in the genocide, listing Lockheed Martin and its products as having enhanced Israel’s capacity to perpetuate apartheid, being integral to equipping Israel to kill and injure Palestinians and to obliterate Gaza, and testing its surveillance technology on Palestinians. Industrial collaborations between Lockheed Martin and Israel have existed for over 20 years, including the signing of an “Industrial Participation” agreement for the F-35 program expected to be worth over $6bn by its completion. Part of the agreement involves the transfer of technology and local investment in Israel. Notably, this includes significant investment in STEM kindergartens in Israel. The first MadaKids Lockheed Martin technology kindergartens was launched in 2015, and the company also funds initiatives across middle school (girls-only STEM summer camps), as well as SkillZ, a cyber competition in Israeli high schools.

Lockheed was also involved in corruption scandals through the 1950s-1970s in Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the Netherlands; bribery scandals in Egypt in the 1980s; and large-scale tax avoidance dating back to the 1960s. There are 106 recorded violations of the company for government contracting, pricing, fulfilment, employment, competition, environment and safety related offences, with a total of $334m paid in penalties since 2000. Since 2025, the company has been facing a lawsuit that alleges it provided false or misleading statements leading to substantial financial losses to investors, including overstating its ability to meet its commitments.

People & politics

Lockheed Martin conducts extensive lobbying practices. In 2025 the company spent over $15.5m on lobbying in the US, and has spent over $80m on lobbying across issues including defence, federal budget, aerospace, foreign relations and Homeland Security since 2020. The company has also lobbied on the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act and National Defense Authorisation Act, both of which set out huge amounts of funding for defence, space, border control and AI technology.

Further demonstrating attempts to gain political influence over defence policy and spending, the company also contributes to some of the top military and defence think tanks in the US, including the Atlantic Council, the Center for a New American Security and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Lockheed Martin, like many other arms companies, operates a fast revolving door with the US government: in 2022 it was reported that 49 out of 70 of the company’s US lobbyists had previously been employed in government jobs. Employees at the company also make contributions to US federal and state politicians through its Political Action Committee.

The Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin is Jim Taiclet who joined the company’s board of directors in 2018. In 2025, Taiclet was accused of insider trading, allegedly gaining $12.8m in stock sales shortly before a price drop in shares due to the company’s failure to fulfil government contracts. In 2024, it was reported that Taiclet took home $23.8m in ‘compensation’ including salary, bonuses, and stock awards.

Who’s behind the brand?

According to financial databases, by December 2025, Lockheed Martin’s top shareholders include State Street Global Advisors Inc (~15%), the Vanguard Group Inc (~9%); Blackrock Inc (~7%); Charles Schwab Investment Management (~4%); and Geode Capital Management LLC (~2%).

Appendix: additional examples of dual-use technology

• iSpace is command and control and traffic detection software, which uses data from government and commercial space hardware to provide real-time information to governmental, civilian and commercial customers to detect ‘space events’, including debris and collisions. It has been used by the US National Space Defense Centre to integrate data across government and commercial sensors, and for ‘Space Domain Awareness’ for US allies, such as Germany.
• ARISE is software which is used to create its digital twin simulations and use AI and ML data analytics to detect errors and anomalies in new technologies and digital systems.
• Lockheed Martin proclaims Minerva to be “engineering the future of mail” with its suite of AI technology for mail sorting tasks, reportedly used in the UK and across Europe. The software sorts mail, and analyses data on post items, including customs information and labels.
• Nomad is a new vertical take-off and landing long-range drone, using MATRIX technology to assist with autonomous flying. Produced via Lockheed’s subsidiary Sikorsky, it is marketed as able to assist with missions across land and sea, including defence and security missions, as well as civilian operations. The company announced it will be releasing a “family” of Nomads in October 2025, including smaller drones, and large aircraft the size of Black Hawk helicopters.
• Guided by the US Department of Defence goals for a “Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control” system, Lockheed Martin also focuses on enabling comprehensive communication and data sharing through its ‘5G.MIL Unified Network Solutions’. This is an advanced, space-based 5G “network of networks” that seeks to provide secure communication of information across all domains globally through integrating commercial 5G technology with military systems. The system includes commercial technologies from Intel, Microsoft and Nokia. In 2023, Lockheed Martin announced that it was preparing to launch the first 5G.MIL payload satellite, although there are no confirmed reports that this has taken place.