Lockheed Martin Expands Titusville Facility to Bolster Trident II D5LE2 Production
New 225,000-sq-ft Titusville Plant to Build Next-Gen Trident Components, Create 300+ High-Skill Jobs, Cementing Space Coast's FBM Role
DATELINE: TITUSVILLE, FL – April 27, 2025
Lockheed Martin, building on its 70-year legacy as the Navy's partner for sea-based deterrence, has commenced construction on a significant new manufacturing and assembly facility within Titusville’s Enterprise Park. This purpose‑built 225,000‑sq‑ft plant is designed specifically to produce critical components for the U.S. Navy’s Trident II D5 Life Extension 2 (D5LE2) missile program.
The expansion represents a major investment in national security infrastructure. This move also cements the Space Coast’s growing status as Lockheed Martin's comprehensive Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) center of excellence, promising hundreds of high-wage jobs for Brevard County while reinforcing the nation's strategic deterrence for decades.
Strategic Significance
The Trident II D5 missile serves as the indispensable foundation of the sea‑based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad. This component is widely considered the most survivable element due to the stealth and constant mobility of its submarine launch platforms. Deployed currently on U.S. OHIO‑class and U.K. VANGUARD‑class submarines, the D5 delivers a potent, stealthy, and highly reliable second‑strike capability.
The crucial D5LE2 upgrade program extends the operational effectiveness of this strategic weapon system through 2084. This ensures a seamless transition to the next generation of ballistic missile submarines: the U.S. Navy's COLUMBIA‑class and the U.K. Royal Navy's Dreadnought‑class.
By strategically co‑locating D5LE2 production alongside the existing FBM program headquarters and logistics functions already established in Titusville, Lockheed Martin significantly streamlines the modernization effort. This consolidation reduces potential program risks, guarantees uninterrupted, efficient support for vital U.S. and allied deterrence missions, and underscores a deliberate strategy to centralize critical FBM functions here on the Space Coast.
Trident II D5 Overview
Designation: UGM‑133A; the system has been operational since its initial deployment in 1990.
Type: A three-stage, solid-fuel Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) capable of carrying up to eight multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs).
Size & Weight: Measures 44 ft 6 in (13.56 m) in length and 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) in diameter, with a launch weight of approximately 130,000 lb (59,000 kg).
Range: Possesses an operational range estimated between 4,000 and 7,600 nautical miles (approximately 4,600–8,750 miles or 7,400–14,000 km).
Guidance: Employs the highly accurate Mk 6 astro‑inertial guidance system, allowing for precise targeting.
Speed: Reaches hypersonic speeds during its terminal phase, estimated up to Mach 24.
Launch: Utilizes a "cold‑launch" technique, where the missile is ejected from submerged launch tubes by gas pressure before its first-stage rocket motor ignites safely away from the submarine.
This sophisticated design, incorporating features like a drag-reducing aerospike and stellar-reference guidance updates, ensures exceptional accuracy for both counterforce (targeting adversary military assets) and countervalue (targeting cities or industrial centers) missions. Its reliability is further proven by an outstanding record of 191 successful test launches since 1989.
Workforce & Regional Impact
Lockheed Martin's commitment involves a direct capital investment estimated at $140 million for the facility construction. This enables the hiring of up to 300 permanent, highly skilled employees. These positions, commanding an impressive average annual salary projected at $89,000, will span critical disciplines including various fields of engineering (systems, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing), advanced manufacturing operations, quality assurance, digital systems management, and program oversight.
Approximately 100 U.S. Navy specialists will also be co-located at the facility, complementing the Lockheed Martin workforce. Their focus on essential government functions like quality assurance oversight, security protocols, and test integration support will foster close collaboration.
This significant influx of high-value jobs and investment leverages and further strengthens the Space Coast’s already robust aerospace and defense ecosystem. This includes its extensive supply chain, advanced transportation networks (air, sea, land, space), and deep pool of experienced technical talent. The expansion reinforces Brevard County's reputation as an indispensable hub supporting national defense priorities.
Technology & Mission Details
The new Titusville plant will integrate Lockheed Martin’s proprietary Intelligent Factory Framework (IFF). This advanced digital infrastructure acts as the facility's nerve center, securely connecting production equipment and management systems. It provides real‑time operational data, enables predictive maintenance to maximize uptime, and supports highly flexible, adaptable workflows.
The decision to begin groundbreaking in early 2025, running parallel to the D5LE2 missile's preliminary design phase, represents an accelerated approach. This ensures the facility will be fully equipped and operational by the target date of 2027, ready to meet production demands aligned with the COLUMBIA-class submarine schedule.
Furthermore, the facility's adaptable architecture is intentionally designed to support future missile upgrades and sustainment activities. This adaptable architecture enables a planned 60-year production horizon, ensuring the facility can support the D5LE2 through its intended service life into the 2080s.
Next Steps
Enabled by the Navy’s $383 million contract modification awarded in January 2025, which funds the core D5LE2 design and development effort, construction on the Titusville facility will actively continue through 2026.
Following construction completion, Lockheed Martin will focus on installing and certifying the specialized production lines and qualifying manufacturing processes to meet the Navy's stringent requirements. The company anticipates beginning initial component deliveries from this new facility to directly support the production and deployment schedules for the first COLUMBIA‑class submarines, expected to enter service in the early 2030s.
Conclusion
Lockheed Martin’s strategic expansion in Titusville emphatically underscores the Space Coast’s critical and enduring role in underpinning U.S. and U.K. strategic deterrence capabilities. By synergistically combining state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing techniques, comprehensive digital integration through the IFF, and the creation of significant high‑value local jobs, this facility ensures the nation's sea‑based nuclear forces remain credible, technologically superior, reliable, and ready.
It represents a vital modernization of the defense industrial base, poised right here on the Space Coast to meet evolving global threats and maintain strategic stability for decades, securing the D5LE2's role through its projected 2084 service life.
