Some of its marquee military aircraft include the F-35 joint strike fighter, F-16 fighter, F-22 Raptor stealth fighter and the C-130J Hercules airlifter.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates will try once again to persuade Congress to stop further acquisition of the nation's only long-range, heavy airlifter, the C-17.
The only American candidate for replacing the loss in rapid transport capacity associated with sending the C-5As to the boneyard is the C-17, a substantially smaller but modern and highly capable strategic airlifter.
Departing executive Lawson is generally considered to have done a competent job of putting the F-35 on a sustainable track while maintaining the profitability of other Lockheed Martin aircraft franchises such as the C-130 airlifter and F-16 fighter.