Battles & Wars › Industrial wars › Warplanes (military aircraft)
Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin)
founded 1912; P-38 1939; Lockheed Martin 1995; F-35 2006· Arms maker, factory or program· Arms makers & war industry
Well documentedSolid records, physical evidence or scientific consensus.
California aircraft maker founded by the Loughead brothers in 1912, builder of the P-38 and C-130, and since 1995 part of Lockheed Martin.
See it on the Battles & Wars map →What happened
Allan and Malcolm Loughead (pronounced 'Lockheed') began building planes in 1912. After a 1932 bankruptcy, investors led by Robert Gross revived the firm in Burbank. In World War II it built Hudson bombers for Britain, about 10,000 P-38 Lightning fighters, and B-17s under license. Its Skunk Works produced the U-2 and SR-71 spy planes and the F-117 stealth jet. In 1995 it merged with Martin Marietta. Lockheed Martin builds the F-35, its largest program.
Why it matters
It became the world's largest defense company by sales, tying aircraft, missiles and space technology to US strategy from World War II to today.
How we know
Company histories and production records, Pentagon contract data and budgets, congressional hearings, and Government Accountability Office reviews of programs such as the F-35.
Still debated
Its 1970s bribery scandals in Japan, the Netherlands and elsewhere helped prompt the 1977 US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Whether the F-35's huge cost is justified is still debated.
Inside this (2)
Connections (5)
▸Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin) built the P-38s that shot down Isoroku YamamotoWell documented
The connection
US Navy codebreakers read a message giving Admiral Yamamoto's flight plan to Bougainville. Only Lockheed's long-range, twin-engine P-38 Lightning could reach him from Guadalcanal. On April 18, 1943, 16 P-38s flew a low, roundabout route over the sea and shot down his bomber. His death was a heavy blow to Japanese morale.
When and how
Over Bougainville, Solomon Islands, April 18, 1943; the 339th Fighter Squadron from Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, led by Major John Mitchell.
How we know
Decrypted Japanese messages, US mission reports, Japanese records, and the bomber's wreck, which still lies in the Bougainville jungle.
Debates and open questions
Who fired the fatal shots, Rex Barber or Thomas Lanphier, was disputed for decades; most analyses now favor Barber or shared credit.
▸Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin) set up, in 1943, the Lockheed Skunk WorksWell documented
The connection
In 1943 Lockheed let Kelly Johnson set up a small, separate team with its own budget, few managers and tight secrecy to build the XP-80 jet fast. The model worked so well that Lockheed kept it, and the unit became the company's engine for secret projects.
When and how
Burbank, California, June 1943; later moved to Palmdale; part of Lockheed Martin since 1995.
How we know
Lockheed company records and Johnson's and Ben Rich's memoirs; Lockheed Martin still holds the 'Skunk Works' trademark.
Debates and open questions
Whether a small, rule-light unit can still thrive inside a giant modern contractor, under today's Pentagon rules, is debated by defense analysts.
▸Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin) became Lockheed Martin (1995) in the The 'Last Supper' and the 1990s defense mergersWell documented
The connection
Lockheed, maker of the U-2, SR-71 and F-117, merged in 1995 with Martin Marietta, maker of missiles, satellites and rockets, whose chief Norman Augustine had named the 'Last Supper'. The new Lockheed Martin became the world's largest arms maker by revenue and later won the F-35 contract.
When and how
Bethesda, Maryland, March 1995; chief executives Daniel Tellep of Lockheed and Norman Augustine of Martin Marietta.
How we know
SEC filings, company histories and the Pentagon's approval of the deal document it; SIPRI rankings list Lockheed Martin as the top arms seller.
Debates and open questions
Whether the merger cut costs as promised or reduced competition, raising prices on programs like the F-35, is debated.
▸Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin) built the F-22 and F-35 jets flown in US capture of Nicolás Maduro (Operation Absolute Resolve)Well documented
The connection
Lockheed Martin built the stealthy F-22 and F-35 fighters that Gen. Caine listed among the aircraft clearing Venezuela's skies and air defenses for the raid. Its Sikorsky unit also builds the Black Hawk, the workhorse helicopter of US special-operations aviation.
When and how
F-22s and F-35s flew over Venezuela on the night of January 2–3, 2026; Lockheed bought Sikorsky in 2015.
How we know
Gen. Caine's Pentagon briefing named both fighter types, and their manufacturer is documented.
Debates and open questions
Exactly what the stealth fighters did, and which helicopters carried the raid force, have not been officially detailed.
▸Clarence 'Kelly' Johnson co-designed the P-38 at Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin)Well documented
The connection
Johnson joined Lockheed in 1933 as a young engineer and soon helped fix the Electra airliner's tail design. He co-designed the P-38 Lightning, a twin-boom fighter that first flew in 1939; about 10,000 were built, and P-38s shot down Admiral Yamamoto's plane in 1943. He became Lockheed's chief engineer in 1952.
When and how
Burbank, California, 1933–1975; working at first under chief engineer Hall Hibbard.
How we know
Lockheed design records, Johnson's autobiography and company histories.
Debates and open questions
How to split credit for the P-38 between Johnson and chief engineer Hall Hibbard is debated; both worked on its early concept.