Lockheed Martin has begun work on a new Munitions Acceleration Center in Camden, Arkansas, as the company prepares to ramp up production of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, interceptors. The facility is intended to support manufacturing for THAAD and PAC-3 systems, according to the company.
The expansion comes after Lockheed Martin signed a framework agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense to increase annual THAAD interceptor output from 96 to 400 over the next seven years. The company said the arrangement will not be finalized until Congress approves fiscal 2026 funding.
THAAD interceptors are currently produced in Troy, Alabama. The new Arkansas facility is part of a broader effort to expand missile-defense manufacturing capacity and train workers for future production needs.