Tim Cahill, President of Missiles and Fire Control, Lockheed Martin
Invest: spoke with Tim Cahill, president of missiles and fire control at Lockheed Martin, about the aerospace and defense sector, the high-tech climate, and how Lockheed Martin is capitalizing on the opportunities the region has to offer in terms of technology, innovation, and workforce.
How has Lockheed Martin grown over your tenure, and what impact has its operations and workforce had on the Greater Orlando region?
Lockheed Martin has come a long way, growing from its constituent companies into a vast defense tech corporation that operates worldwide. We are very proud of that and of the role that Central Florida and the broader Orlando area have played. Missiles and Fire Control (MFC) – the division I lead — has been in Orlando for about 70 years, since the late 1950s, and the reason for that is it’s a great location for a number of reasons. It’s near the Space Coast, and many of our production facilities are throughout Alabama, Florida, and the rest of the Southeast. We have a great talent pipeline to draw from, allowing us to consistently build and broaden our workforce and capabilities. We now serve over 60 countries. Our workforce in Orlando is a significant part of MFC, which operates effectively throughout the world.
What is the significance of the NATO Secretary General’s visit earlier this year, and what does it mean for your operations in Orlando and the broader region?
It was an incredible visit. We believe that our facility in Alabama was the only factory he visited on that trip. He personally thanked our employees, particularly those on the Javelin line, for their crucial role at the beginning of the Ukrainian conflict, helping Ukraine defend its freedom. The Ukrainian conflict has shown the necessity for strong deterrence throughout the world, and all the nations we serve are paying attention to that lesson, especially in Europe. The Secretary General’s visit underscored the importance of building up the capabilities that Lockheed Martin, particularly our Missiles and Fire Control division, provides to European countries. Systems like HIMARS, ATACMS, and Javelin, supported by our workforce in Orlando, have become household names. Our engineering teams in Orlando are key to designing these systems and supporting their production. Additionally, systems like the Sniper Pod, which allows advanced targeting aboard aircraft for the United States and our allies, are built in our Orlando plant. Everything we touch within Missiles and Fire Control has a significant presence in Central Florida.
What have been some of the technological advancements Lockheed Martin has brought to the high-tech climate in the Central Florida region?
Today, nearly 10,000 Lockheed Martin employees in Orlando are doing amazing, innovative work every day to advance scientific discovery. The optics, front-end seekers, and sensors — the “eyes” of our systems — have their roots in Orlando, thanks to the technical workforce at our Missile and Fire Control facility here. Increasing complexity and intelligence in these systems are critically important. Precision is a key factor, as seen in Ukraine, where it’s crucial to hit the right target and avoid collateral damage. Our engineering teams in Orlando play a significant role in bringing this advanced, defense tech capability to life. Also in Orlando, our Rotary and Mission Systems Training and Logistics Solutions facility is Lockheed Martin’s center of excellence for training, simulation and sustainment. TLS develops programs that increase mission readiness by teaching service personnel skills to accomplish their most challenging missions and keeping military systems ready to operate at a moment’s notice. There are increasing opportunities to leverage modeling, simulation, game-based learning and AI to accelerate mission readiness for the U.S. military and our allies, with many of today’s military personnel looking for more realism in their training experiences. This high-tech business requires a skilled workforce, and the universities in Orlando provide a wonderful ecosystem for this purpose. We have strong partnerships with the University of Central Florida and Valencia College, drawing deep into the technical capabilities of the region.
How would you describe the state of the aerospace and defense sector in the Greater Orlando area?
The sector is very strong right now and for us to maintain the growth we’ve seen in recent years, we’re actively working to enhance our speed, agility and competitiveness as a company. Our focus on the future is being shaped by our vision for 21st Century Security® as we accelerate the delivery of integrated defense capabilities. For Orlando, this 21st Century Security vision could mean more opportunities for the local tech hub to contribute to developing the advanced technologies we need in areas such as 5G, artificial intelligence and edge computing. There is a broader need to network systems together, which means harnessing commercial technology into our services. This healthy environment includes large prime contractors and a number of smaller companies, which brings competition and innovation. The presence of small and medium-sized companies is beneficial for the United States and our allies.
Can you speak to some of the space-related projects Lockheed Martin is involved in?
Lockheed Martin has been a critical player in space since the beginning of the Space Age. In Central Florida, the human spaceflight side is particularly exciting. For example, the Orion deep space capsule, built by Lockheed Martin, involves significant construction and launch preparation in Central Florida. Our partnership with the United Launch Alliance, which launches many human exploration and national security missions from Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center, also brings high-tech jobs to the region. Our Space division has been a visible and long-standing presence in Central Florida.
What do you see as key challenges facing the aerospace and defense sector, and how is Lockheed Martin addressing them?
The first challenge is always attracting and retaining high-tech, talented people. With 122,000 employees across Lockheed Martin, every one of them is critical to our success. We compete with other companies for the best and brightest. Our missions are appealing to young graduates, and we build an inclusive environment that people want to be part of. Partnerships with UCF and Valencia College ensure a presence on campuses and investment in the academic environment. Emphasizing innovation and agility is crucial. The fast pace of design and technology in our industry is exciting, but it requires hard work to attract and keep talented individuals.
What is your outlook for the aerospace and defense sector in the second half of the decade, and how does Lockheed Martin plan to continue moving the needle?
The prospects are bright. While there will always be challenges with budgets, we operate in a global environment. Leveraging commercial technologies and investments will demonstrate the value of our industry in both commercial and defense sectors. We plan to continue building partnerships with academia and small and medium-sized industries, both in Orlando and beyond. Harnessing commercial technologies and forming partnerships with commercial companies of all sizes will be key. Applying emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing to our challenges is essential. We aim to be agile, dynamic, and innovative, constantly evolving to keep our customers ahead of emerging threats.
