The Challenge:

The United States is supporting critical partners in Europe, the Middle East and Asia – while still facing the challenge of supply chain fragility exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To keep pace with adversaries and stay ahead of emerging threats, the U.S. defense industrial base must undergo generational change. That’s what the Pentagon determined in its first National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS) released this year. The NDIS calls for industry to transform into a “robust, resilient, fully capable 21st century defense industrial ecosystem.” 

The Solution:

Lockheed Martin has developed its own plan to improve resiliency through a connected, multi-tier supply chain, aligned to the Pentagon’s priorities.

“Better understanding risks and opportunities throughout the supply chain allows us to manage our supply more comprehensively,” Lockheed Martin Senior Vice President of Operations Mark Stewart said. “It’s about leveraging where we are common, regardless of where we operate or what we make. A washer can offer the same fit, form and function on an airplane as it does on a missile. If that’s the case, we should purchase these in a similar way, minimizing transactions while maximizing buying power and capacity.”

The How:

Lockheed Martin is delivering manufacturing innovation by focusing on three pillars:

• Intelligent Factory framework: This allows machines across Lockheed Martin to automatically report status and utilization using application programming interfaces, machine learning and software-defined networking. The environment currently has more than one-thousand machine connections and tools secured, collecting more than 100 terabytes of data in real time from connected machines – all improving operational efficiency via automation and machine optimization.
• Additive Manufacturing: In 2022, the White House launched Additive Manufacturing Forward (AM Forward), a voluntary compact between large manufacturers and their smaller U.S.-based suppliers. Lockheed Martin is working with small and medium enterprise suppliers to help transform shop floors across the country by bringing in new technologies like 3D printing.
• Supply Chain Transformation: Realizing 21^st Century Security means applying anti-fragility measures to close gaps in the U.S. supply chain’s ability to innovate advanced technology integrated systems while simultaneously delivering conventional weaponry for tactical operations. We’re ensuring the industrial base can not only withstand shocks, but that it grows stronger from them.