A PRODUCTION INCREASE LOCKS IN ON CAMDEN
Last week, Lockheed Martin announced plans for a $420 million expansion of its operations in southern Arkansas. The company is aiming to increase production capacity for the U.S. Department of War’s (DOW) PAC-3, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and Precision Strike Missile platforms at the 2,427-acre Camden site. The current 2.2-million-sq.-ft. facility houses production for seven DOW programs which has supplied over 700,000 rockets and missiles in the past four decades. This expansion follows Lockheed’s January 2026 investment to construct a new Munitions Acceleration Center in the city, further deepening the company’s footprint in the region while enhancing technical capabilities. “Lockheed Martin is investing at unprecedented speed and scale to expand manufacturing capacity and deliver the critical capabilities our warfighters need, faster,” said Lockheed Martin Camden Site General Manager Adam Bailey. “For more than four decades, Camden has played a vital role in strengthening our nation’s defense, and this investment marks another significant step in accelerating production, advancing next-generation manufacturing and creating 650 new jobs.”
Photo courtesy of BWX Technologies
BWXT RETURNS TO TENNESSEE’S NUCLEAR ENERGY FUND
Leading defense and nuclear energy manufacturer BWX Technologies signed an agreement with Tennessee leaders in order to pursue a facility expansion in Washington County. The company plans to more than double its current workforce in Jonesborough through a new $714.5 million investment, which will create 181 jobs. BWXT will expand production of High Purity Depleted Uranium (HPDU) metal for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Last year, the NNSA awarded BWXT a $1.6 billion, 10-year contract to build an HPDU facility at its Jonesborough site, which will become the only active facility capable of handling these operations for the government. BWXT’s expansion marks the 12th project to leverage the state’s Nuclear Energy Fund and the third project, including a new Oak Ridge facility and a plant expansion in Erwin, for which the company has utilized the fund for since 2025. “When we created Tennessee’s Nuclear Energy Fund, our goal was to cultivate an ecosystem where this industry could thrive. Today’s announcement from BWXT represents another significant investment in Tennessee and creates greater opportunity across Northeast Tennessee, including nearly 200 high-quality jobs,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “I thank BWXT’s leadership for recognizing our efforts and continuing to make a significant impact in our state.”
Photo courtesy of Boom Supersonic
SUPERSONIC POWER
On the same day Boom Supersonic announced the completion of its first supersonic turbine core, the company additionally shared news of a $150 million Superpower Superfactory under construction in Colorado. Located in the South Denver area, the company is in the midst of building a 200,000-sq.-ft. factory that will span two buildings in Centennial. This site will support production of blisks, blades, vanes, shafts and cases, keeping engineering, manufacturing, assembly and testing tightly integrated in Colorado. These parts are critical to supporting the company’s 42-megawatt natural gas turbines which can also be used to power AI data centers. This addition will enable Boom Supersonic to move rapidly from design to physical hardware and real-world learning, moving from weeks or months to days or hours between processes. The Superpower Superfactory will also gain an all-digital single-crystal foundry, allowing Boom Supersonic to manufacture advanced turbine blades and vanes from custom superalloys through a completely digital process. Boom Supersonic’s approach to facility development will allow the company’s production to seamlessly shift to defense production with software changes. The company has already begun manufacturing at the site, which is expected to become fully operational by 2027. Site Selection reported in September 2022 on Boom’s plans to invest in an aircraft manufacturing facility at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. However, even as the company’s Overture aircraft successfully broke the sound barrier last year, that facility is idle at this time. Watch SiteSelection.com for forthcoming reporting on aerospace/aviation growth in and around PTI and Asheville.
Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore
