DALLAS, March 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin
[NYSE: LMT] has purchased a wind tunnel that is one of only two of
its kind in the United States, and
is planning key improvements to the facility.
Since 1958, Lockheed Martin and its heritage companies have used
the High Speed Wind Tunnel (HSWT) in Grand Prairie, Texas, for subsonic, transonic
and supersonic research-and-development testing. Although the
company is the long-time operator of the HSWT, it has leased the
facility from Triumph Aerostructures. The purchase will enable
Lockheed Martin to invest in upgrades and manage scheduling,
including testing by other companies and government agencies.
"The High Speed Wind Tunnel in Grand
Prairie is an aerospace engineering treasure, serving as a
proving ground for hundreds of flight vehicles designed over the
last six decades for everything from space exploration to national
defense," said HSWT manager Mike
McWithey. "We made this purchase to ensure that development
legacy extends well into the future."
The HSWT and a facility in Missouri are the only two polysonic
(subsonic-transonic-supersonic), adjustable Mach-number wind
tunnels in the U.S.
Products developed in the HSWT include the Multiple Launch
Rocket System, the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, the Army
Tactical Missile System, PAC-3, PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement,
the A-7 Corsair II and the Space Shuttle. The facility routinely
supports programs for NASA, the Missile Defense Agency, the Office
of Naval Research, DARPA and numerous U.S. aerospace companies.
Planned improvements include a new air-compressor system, which
is projected to reduce operating costs significantly, an updated
data-acquisition system and the upgrading of utilities.
Headquartered in Bethesda,
Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace
company that employs approximately 112,000 people worldwide and is
principally engaged in the research, design, development,
manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology
systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for
2014 were $45.6 billion.
For additional information, visit our
website:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin