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Posted on 05/17/2026 9:08:45 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
A surge in missile and rocket production tied to rising global conflicts is transforming smaller U.S. manufacturing hubs into critical parts of the American defense supply chain, as weapons makers race to expand capacity and hire thousands of workers, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
Defense contractors including Lockheed Martin (LMT), L3Harris (LHX) and RTX (RTX) have significantly expanded operations in Camden, Arkansas, following increased Pentagon demand for missile systems, rocket launchers and artillery ammunition after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The investment wave has fueled rapid hiring and factory expansion across the region. Aerospace and defense employment in two counties surrounding Camden rose roughly 54% from 2020 through last year, according to Arkansas state data cited in the report.
Lockheed Martin (LMT) boosted production of systems including the HIMARS rocket launcher and PAC-3 missile interceptors, while L3Harris (LHX) is building a large new rocket motor manufacturing campus in the area. RTX (RTX) is also expanding missile-related production tied to a contract supplying Tamir interceptors to Israel.
The industry’s rapid growth has forced companies to rethink workforce development as they compete for labor in smaller communities. Contractors have increasingly partnered with local schools and technical colleges to recruit younger workers and train employees in robotics, automation and precision manufacturing.
The Pentagon’s push to rebuild weapons stockpiles and expand production capacity comes as the Trump administration seeks a sharply larger defense budget for fiscal 2027.
For investors, the expansion underscores how geopolitical tensions are driving a multiyear growth cycle for defense manufacturers and suppliers tied to missiles, rocket motors, munitions and military automation. The buildout could benefit companies across the aerospace and defense supply chain, including firms involved in robotics, industrial manufacturing, engineering services and advanced materials, as governments continue increasing military spending...
(Excerpt) Read more at seekingalpha.com ...
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Daddy Warbucks is pleased.
It’s good to have enhanced capabilities in this area. The world is an increasingly dangerous place. Our industrial might is the only thing that saved us in WW II. Uh, that’s not eleven. :) We are no longer the worlds leading manufacturer.
We are also learning that:
1. Biden sent a bunch of our frontline gear to Ukraine, not just old surplus stuff.
2. The “Peace Dividend” ended up with us losing critical manufacturing capability that most people are only starting to realize.
3. Due to leadership failures in government and the military, we spent a bunch of money on systems that didn’t work, don’t work and we knew weren’t going to work - such as the last LCS spec. We spent too much money on the wrong things and too few things in general, all of which is fortunately being brought to light before the looming potential war with China. We don’t have enough transport aircraft and cannot readily build more of anything larger than a C-130, we don’t have enough ships (because the LCS ate all the funding), our ship designs are too old (Burke is an old, old design that’s been bandaided and patched and updated), our ships in general are too old (the last of our missile cruisers is about to get retired in the next few years as they are aging out, as are the first four Ohio nuke subs), our missile production is still hamstrung by lack of domestically produced secure computer chips, we’re playing catchup in APS systems even now - the list of serious problems go on and on.
Oh I wish. Just sold my business Thursday. No defense contracts for non union small shops.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few people looking to jump into this space because of the government spending: private equity groups, people with money but no sense, etc.
For many of those, they should stay away. They have no experience in running those type of businesses, nor working with government contracts.
It was time to start more wars. The economy is pretty bad.
I wonder if illegals know how to make bombs?
The best chicken fried steak I have had was in Camden.
If the economy is bad why are the shopping center parking lots full and the freeways full of cars?
Welcome to the Boomtown.
Maybe they are where you live. But rising costs are hurting people where I live. People still have to go to work.
Great to see that.
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