Lockheed Martin UK’s 59 acre site in Ampthill, Bedfordshire is an advanced manufacturing centre of excellence, purpose-built capability to deliver complex, high-quality solutions at pace.
Bringing together cutting-edge technology, deep engineering expertise and a highly skilled workforce, the site is designed for precision, resilience, and scalability across the full manufacturing lifecycle - from concept and prototyping through to production, integration, and sustainment.
Spanning more than 20,000 square metres of production operations space, Ampthill is a state-of-the-art digital factory. It supports mission-critical programmes for the UK MoD, combining modern manufacturing techniques with advanced digital capability to deliver consistent, repeatable quality.
At Lockheed Martin, our mission is to create innovative advanced technologies that help customers solve complex challenges. At Ampthill, that mission comes to life through the exploration and integration of technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning into our products and capabilities. These technologies have the potential to enhance speed, accuracy, and safety, helping customers achieve their missions more effectively.
Uncrewed Turret
As part of a global network of engineering expertise, Lockheed Martin UK’s Turret Centre of Excellence brings world-leading technology and British innovation together to deliver next-generation turret systems.
Leveraging decades of British engineering expertise, the team delivers solutions capable of operating in complex and demanding environments. Supporting both domestic and international defence programmes, including the British Army’s AJAX programme and collaboration in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Centre exemplifies how rigorous technical innovation and global collaboration drive world-class armoured capability for modern armed forces. The Lockheed Martin Uncrewed Turret is harnessing autonomy to deliver enhanced unmatched lethality and versatility on the modern battlefield.
AJAX
Lockheed Martin UK is on contract to design and deliver 245 turrets as the Design Authority for the AJAX reconnaissance variant. Lockheed Martin’s technology-leading turret solution contributes significantly to the ISTAR, survivability and lethal combat capabilities provided by AJAX.
Developed by General Dynamics UK, the AJAX programme includes six variants: AJAX, ARES, APOLLO, ATHENA, ATLAS and ARGUS. Each AJAX variant will be a highly-agile, tracked, medium- weight armoured fighting vehicles, providing British troops with state-of-the-art best-in-class protection.
AJAX will be the medium weight core of the British Army’s deployable intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability. It enables the soldier to be at the point of collection of accurate all-weather commander information within a network-enabled digitised platform.
The design, manufacture, integration, and testing of all 245 turrets is taking place at the Ampthill site. We are working with our supply chain, which includes a number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK to deliver the requirement.
In addition, Lockheed Martin is on contract to deliver the turrets training solutions, via support in an Appended Turret (AT), Desk Top Trainer (DTT), Crew Turret Trainer (CTT) and Small Arms Drill Trainer (SADT).
Lockheed Martin UK develops specialist software solutions that underpin the safe, compliant, and assured development of military capability for UK Defence. Our products and expertise support the certification, verification, and testing of weapon systems across their full lifecycle, from early concept and design through to qualification, acceptance, and in-service assurance.
Through close alignment with UK Ministry of Defence policy, safety regulations, and engineering best practice, our solutions reduce risk, improve system understanding, and accelerate decision making. The result is safer weapons development, clearer certification pathways, and greater confidence that critical military capabilities are delivered responsibly, compliantly, and ready for operational use.