Business
Lockheed Martin to quadruple THAAD missile defense output amid Trump pressure
Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet discusses the defense giant’s new Pentagon contract, missile production and growth strategy on ‘Mornings with Maria.’
Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet says the company is investing billions to quadruple production of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system as the Trump administration urges defense contractors to prioritize weapons manufacturing over Wall Street interests.
“We heard President Trump’s guidance loud and clear,” Taiclet told FOX Business on Thursday, referencing the president’s warning against defense companies prioritizing stock buybacks over weapons production.
Taiclet said Lockheed invested $3.6 billion in capital spending and independent research and development in 2025 and plans to raise that figure to $5 billion in 2026 — a 35% increase he said is intended to answer President Trump’s call.
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A GMLRS is fired from Lockheed Martin’s HIMARS launcher in this undated photo. (Courtesy: US Army)
“That’s Lockheed Martin’s strategy,” Taiclet said, adding that the increased investment is aimed at prioritizing internal growth and supporting the Department of War’s goals.
The comments came as Lockheed announced plans to quadruple THAAD production, boosting annual output from about 96 units to 400 over the next three years, and broke ground on a new munitions acceleration center in Arkansas to meet surging defense demand.
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This rendered image from Lockheed Martin showcases a THAAD missile defense system. (Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed Martin shares rose 6% after the company reported earnings and updated its financial guidance.
Trump has publicly warned defense contractors against diverting cash to investors rather than weapons production.
“Defense contractors are currently issuing massive dividends to their shareholders and massive stock buybacks, at the expense and detriment of investing in plants and equipment,” the president wrote in a recent Truth Social post.
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“This situation will no longer be allowed or tolerated!”
The investment push also follows a landmark seven-year agreement with the Department of War to more than triple production of PAC-3 MSE interceptors to about 2,000 missiles annually.
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Verizon has added on a step for customers wanting to unlock their fully paid-off devices by introducing a new waiting period in certain cases.
Under Verizon’s current device-unlocking policy, customers who pay off their payment agreement balance online or in the My Verizon app have to wait 35 days before their phone will be unlocked.
The same delay applies if a Verizon Gift Card is used to buy a smartphone or customers pay off the remaining balance.
The delay also applies to postpaid customers who pay off a device installment plan online or in the app.
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Verizon’s new unlock policy creates 35-day delays for paid-off devices. (iStock / iStock)
Customers who complete their installment agreements with scheduled monthly payments will continue to have their devices unlocked automatically after the final payment, according to the policy.
Customers may be able to avoid the 35-day delay by paying off the remaining balance in person, but only at a Verizon corporate store using what the company describes as a secure payment method.
These include cash, an EMV chip-enabled credit card or a contactless option like Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Payments made online, in the app, by phone, at authorized retailers or through other non-secure methods may also trigger the 35-day waiting period.
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Verizon customers can avoid 35-day device unlock delays by paying off phones in-store with cash, chip cards, or contactless payments like Apple Pay instead of online methods. (Photo Illustration by Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)
A Verizon spokesperson said customers who meet the requirements for a faster unlock will usually receive it within 24 hours and added that the 35-day window is to allow time for fraud prevention, according to Ars Technica.
The policy change came after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) eliminated Verizon’s longstanding requirement to automatically unlock devices 60 days after activation.
The change, for example, would limit customers’ ability to quickly unlock a phone before international travel to use a local SIM card abroad.
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Prepaid devices bought from Verizon stay locked for 365 days of paid, active service. (Kena Betancur/VIEWpress / Getty Images)
It could also make it complicated for customers hoping to sell a paid-off device immediately or switch carriers without interruption and find corporate stores.
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For prepaid customers, devices bought from Verizon stay locked for 365 days of paid, active service.
After that period, Verizon says it will automatically remove the lock, unless the device has been reported stolen or flagged for fraud.
FOX Business has reached out to Verizon for comment.
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