Lockheed Martin opens new hypersonic weapons facility

Dec 3 (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin said on Wednesday it has opened a ​hypersonics system integration lab at ‌its Huntsville campus as it pushes to develop ‌next-generation weapons.

Hypersonic weapons, which can travel at more than five times the speed of sound and evade traditional defenses, are ⁠at the ‌centre of an arms race between the United States and China.

Lockheed's ‍17,000-square-foot facility will include advanced test equipment, simulation tools and an integration environment.

It is ​part of a larger capital program ‌that now totals roughly $529 million and includes 719,000 square feet of facilities under construction or planned, the company said.

"Hypersonic weapons are reshaping the future of military ⁠defense by delivering unmatched ​speed and maneuverability ​that outpace traditional threats," said Holly Molmer, program management director for Lockheed ‍Martin

In October, ⁠defense start-up Castelion said it won contracts to integrate its Blackbeard ⁠hypersonic strike weapon with current U.S. Army systems.

(Reporting ‌by Aishwarya Jain in Bengaluru; Editing ‌by Shailesh Kuber)