Lockheed Martin (LMC) is the world’s largest arms company.¹⁾ Their F-35 Stealth Fighter jets are being used to bomb Gaza.²⁾ Israel just purchased a third squadron of F-35 stealth fighter jets from Lockheed Martin.³⁾ Lockheed has also partnered with Israeli weapons company Rafael to develop a High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) ⁴⁾

LMC’s New Zealand is a wholly owned subsidary of Lockheed Martin. It has a workforce of 200 people ⁵⁾ primarily at the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and NZ Police. LMC provide services to NZ Fire Service & Customs. Lockheed Martin is based out at Trentham Base in Upper Hutt. ⁶⁾

Lockheed Martin has just completed two 11 metre satellite dishes for the NZ Government at Awarua on the southern tip of the South Island. The SouthPAN satellite ground station transmits data to a satellite in geostationary earth orbit. It was built at a cost of NZD$800 million. ⁷⁾

Lockheed Martin Canada was responsible for the weapons system upgrades of the NZ Navy frigates, Te Kaha and Te Mana. This work was initially costed at NZD$442 million, but ended up being NZD$638.9 million and three years late.⁸⁾

Lockheed is also a major investor in Rocket Lab.⁹⁾ RL have been launching military surveillance satellites from Mahia for both the US Department of Defence and a company called BlackSky. ¹⁰⁾ Most of BlackSky’s work is geared toward military intelligence for the U.S. – and they are selling their intel to US allies in the region. They publicly stated that they were surveilling the Gaza border on 7 October.¹¹⁾. Rocket Lab also contracts to Lockheed for materials for US military contracts. ¹²⁾