Stocktwits Defense Watch: Lockheed Martin, RTX, L3Harris, HII Add To Their Defense Contract Backlogs Amid Pentagon Spending Ramp-Up

• Lockheed Martin reached a preliminary agreement with the Department of War to manufacture and maintain 850 F-35 fighter jets over the next decade.
• RTX and Lockheed Martin’s Javelin joint venture received a $215 million U.S. Army contract.
• Raytheon secured an additional $394 million Missile Defense Agency contract.

Defense contractors secured a fresh wave of military contracts and long-term production commitments this week, as the U.S.-Iran war neared the end of its eighth month and fears of renewed military strikes kept the spotlight on America's defense capabilities.

Tensions remained high this week as U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly weighed an immediate end to the war, while Tehran warned of broader retaliation across the Middle East if U.S. and Israeli strikes resumed.

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Against this backdrop, Lockheed Martin (LMT) unveiled a major 10-year F-35 production framework, while L3Harris Technologies (LHX), RTX (RTX) and HII (HII) were awarded new contracts spanning electronic warfare, missile defense and naval operations.

Lockheed Martin Reaches Major F-35 Agreement

On Thursday, Lockheed Martin and the Department of War (DOW) reached a preliminary agreement to produce and support at least 850 F-35 fighter jets over the next decade.

The agreement aims to maintain annual production of 156 aircraft and strengthen the supply chain for the stealth fighter program. Lockheed will invest at least $7 billion of its own funds to support the initiative. However, the agreement is not yet a finalized aircraft order, with pricing and delivery schedules still subject to further negotiations and approvals.

Separately, Lockheed Martin reported an 11% growth in third-quarter (Q3) revenue, which also came above Wall Street’s estimate of $20.46 billion, according to Fiscal.ai. Earnings per share rose to $7.97 from $6.95 a year earlier, beating expectations of $7.52 per share.

The defense behemoth raised its full-year (FY) 2026 revenue guidance to $80 billion to $82 billion, and earnings outlook to $30.35 - $30.75 per share from $29.95 - $30.65.

L3Harris Wins $876M Navy Award

On Monday, L3Harris Technologies received an $876.4 million contract from the U.S. Navy on Monday for the Next Generation Jammer Low Band program. The system is designed to help military aircraft disrupt radar and communications.

Separately, L3Harris opened a new solid rocket motor manufacturing facility in Arkansas on Tuesday, with the aim of doubling its existing production capacity.

RTX, Lockheed Secure Javelin Orders

RTX’s unit, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin secured a $215 million U.S. Army contract to manufacture next-generation launchers for Javelin anti-tank missiles on Monday. The new unit is 30% smaller and 25% lighter than the previous version, while offering twice the target detection and recognition capability, the companies said.

The award follows the first deliveries of the upgraded launchers in May.

RTX also received a $394 million contract extension from the Missile Defense Agency to maintain and support AN/TPY-2 missile-defense radar systems through October 2028. The extension also raises the existing contract ceiling to about $3 billion.

HII Gets $99M Navy Shipbuilding Work

HII secured a $99 million U.S. Navy contract modification to conduct sea trials for the Lyndon B. Johnson destroyer ship on Monday. This is an extension of an existing contract with work expected to continue through October 2028.

The destroyer is also being upgraded to carry the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missile system, designed to strike distant targets at extremely high speeds.

How Did LMT, RTX, HII And LHX Fare This Week?

Lockheed Martin led the gains this week with a 10.6% gain, followed by L3Harris at 3.7% and HII at 1.7%, while RTX was the only laggard in this cohort, down about 0.5%.

LMT was also far and away the biggest gainer so far this year, rising about 22%. RTX was up 2.2% while LHX slumped 17% and HII tanked 22%.

Also read: Lockheed Martin Raises 2026 Guidance, Unveils F-35 Production Plan With DOW – LMT Stock Set To Breach This Key Resistance After Nearly 2 Months

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