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MANILA - Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), a prominent player in the Aerospace & Defense industry with a market capitalization of $100.75 billion, announced Wednesday an expansion of its industrial collaboration package for the Philippines as part of its F-16 Block 70 fighter jet proposal for the country’s Multi Role Fighter program. According to InvestingPro, the company generated revenues of $71.84 billion in the last twelve months.
The enhanced offer includes a strategic partnership with Southern Methodist University (SMU) to establish technology and knowledge transfer initiatives with Philippine universities and industry partners.
According to the company’s press release, the collaboration will fund business incubation, government initiatives, and academic programs, while establishing a research lab and training facility in the Philippines.
"We are committed to investing in the development of new capabilities and intellectual properties in close collaboration with leading universities and companies in the Philippines," said Jess Koloini, Lockheed Martin F-16 Business Development.
The partnership will leverage expertise from SMU’s Center for Digital and Human-Augmented Manufacturing and Deason Innovation Gym to enhance the Philippines’ research capacity in digital modeling, simulations, virtual reality, robotics, automation and artificial intelligence.
Key elements include providing Filipino professionals access to innovation tools at SMU, establishing a local research lab, and collaborating with Philippine universities to develop new capabilities.
Dr. Ben Zoghi, SMU Associate Dean for Advanced Studies and Industry Partnerships, described the initiative as "an investment in the strength of the Filipino workforce."
The F-16 Block 70 is the most advanced version of the fighter jet, and Lockheed Martin states the collaboration package is designed to support the Philippines’ economic development and Self-Reliant Defense Posture goals while enhancing the country’s security capabilities. Currently trading near its 52-week low, InvestingPro analysis suggests the stock is slightly undervalued, with additional insights available in the comprehensive Pro Research Report, part of InvestingPro’s coverage of over 1,400 US equities.
In other recent news, Lockheed Martin has been awarded a significant $4.29 billion contract modification by the U.S. Department of Defense for missile production. This modification includes procurement for Joint Air-To-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) and Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM), raising the total contract value to $9.49 billion. Additionally, Lockheed Martin received a $29.4 million contract modification for the Mobile User Objective System Service Life Extension (MUOS SLE) program, which increases the total contract value to $95.4 million. Meanwhile, Spain has decided to halt its plans to acquire F-35 Lightning II fighter jets from Lockheed Martin, as reported by El Pais. In contrast, Switzerland is moving forward with its procurement of F-35 fighter jets and the Patriot missile system from the United States, despite newly imposed U.S. tariffs on Swiss imports. Furthermore, the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved an $852 billion defense budget for fiscal 2026, exceeding the previous administration’s request. These developments highlight the ongoing strategic and financial engagements involving Lockheed Martin and defense sectors globally.
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