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L Lockheed Martin

History

Dated history of Lockheed Martin (1995 merger (Lockheed 1926; Glenn L. Martin Company 1912)) in US plants and Pentagon offices; export customers; Skunk Works as a California myth.

Educational history. Casualty figures are documented ranges. This is not operational advice, a ranking of nations, or a how-to for weapons or coups.

At a glance
Timeline

Milestones in order. This is history, not a weekly activity grid.

1912 Glenn L. Martin Company1926 Lockheed incorporation (famous form)1955 U-2 first flight1956-58 F-104 / C-130 era1964 SR-71 first flight1961-95 Martin Marietta years1995 Merger2001-15 F-35 procurement politics2010s ROK F-35 decision era2013-20 Hewson public era
  1. Glenn L. Martin Company
  2. Lockheed incorporation (famous form)
  3. U-2 first flight
  4. F-104 / C-130 era
  5. SR-71 first flight
  6. Martin Marietta years
  7. Merger
  8. F-35 procurement politics
  9. ROK F-35 decision era
  10. Hewson public era
Score intensity

Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.

Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology

Quick answers

Are the scores a ranking of nations or armies?

No. Scores are browsing aids inside an era-bounded atlas — not live league tables of countries.

What is Skunk Works?

Lockheed's advanced-development organisation, associated with Kelly Johnson and later Ben Rich, and with types such as the U-2 and SR-71. A historical shop, not a visitor workshop.

What did Martin bring?

Bomber heritage and, as Martin Marietta, Titan missiles and space contracting -- the other half of the hyphen.

Why does Korea appear here?

Because ROK purchases of Lockheed types (notably F-16 and F-35) are a dated alliance-industrial story. See also the ROK military page.

Is the F-35 "history"?

Its procurement and politics are already a thick public file. Performance claims stay out of this encyclopedia except as disputed hearing objects.

Who is Kelly Johnson?

The engineer-manager name of mid-century Skunk Works. Memoir fame exceeds any single airframe.

Start with this section - History

Keep 1912 and 1926 in the first paragraph so 1995 does not look like a birth.

Skunk Works memoirs are sources with a sales department.

Timeline

  1. Glenn L. Martin Company

    The older ancestor.

  2. Lockheed incorporation (famous form)

    The California ancestor.

  3. U-2 first flight

    A reconnaissance political object.

  4. F-104 / C-130 era

    A fighter scandal-to-be and a transport that stayed.

  5. SR-71 first flight

    The poster type.

  6. Martin Marietta years

    Missiles and space on the other letterhead.

  7. Merger

    Lockheed Martin as a name.

  8. F-35 procurement politics

    Concurrency and hearings.

  9. ROK F-35 decision era

    Alliance-industrial chapter.

  10. Hewson public era

    A named late CEO in the English business press.

Eras

Two aircraft firms

Martin and Lockheed as separate stories.

Skunk Works Cold War

U-2, SR-71, missiles.

Consolidation

The merger season.

F-22 / F-35 politics

Hearings as the public file.

Services and exports

ROK and other customers as news.

Milestones

1995 merger

The letterhead this page is named for.

U-2, 1955

Reconnaissance as politics.

F-35 hearings

The late public file.

A merger is a political event in a drawing-down Pentagon.

ROK buys are chapters, not climaxes.

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