Lockheed Martin Will Concentrate On F-35s In Texas

The production line for Lockheed Martin's F-16 fighter jets will be moved from Ft. Worth, TX to Greenville, SC, according to company officials.

Television station WHNS reports that the company says it will roll the last Texas-built F-16 off the line in September, at which time all of the equipment and tools for manufacturing the aircraft will be transferred to Greenville. The Ft. Worth plant will be expanded to produce F-35 Lighting II airplanes, according to the report.

Lockheed Martin has had a presence in Greenville for more than 30 years, according to company spokesperson Leslie Farmer. Farmer said the Greenville plant has the necessary facilities and infrastructure to support F-16 production with only a few updates. The state's experienced work force and "right to work" laws also played a part in the decision, Farmer said.

Adding the F-16 to the Greenville campus will bring an additional 200 jobs to the state, according to Lockheed. There are currently some 500 people working for the company in Greenville.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.lockheedmartin.com