Grupo Oesía and Lockheed Martin have announced an expansion of their collaborative efforts to explore new opportunities in emerging technologies, including uncrewed systems, photonics, and optronics. This agreement, signed by Ray Piselli, Vice President of International Business at Lockheed Martin, and Luis Furnells, President and CEO of Grupo Oesía, will establish a steering committee to identify and advance specific projects.
This development follows a Letter of Intent signed at the Paris Air Show in 2023 and a Memorandum of Understanding with Grupo Oesía’s subsidiary, Tecnobit, in April 2024. Tecnobit will produce PAC-3 MSE missile parts in Spain for global customers, reinforcing the partnership’s focus on enhancing Spain’s defense capabilities and national sovereignty.
The expanded collaboration will address advanced technologies such as Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) for airborne platforms in GNSS-denied environments, and photonics and optronics applications for defense and security systems. One notable project includes exploring UAV Navigation’s GNC solutions for potential integration into uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) to ensure resilient navigation in challenging environments.
Executive Perspectives
“Industrial partnerships such as our latest agreement with Oesía play a critical role in supporting security of supply and the development of advanced systems to ensure resiliency, readiness, and deterrence,” said Ray Piselli at the signing ceremony in Madrid.
“As a strategic partner for Spain’s national defence and security Lockheed Martin is committed to expanding its relationships with Spanish industry to ensure innovation and transformation are key elements of our work with Spanish industry.”
“This relationship with the world leader in platforms and defence systems has been consolidated for more than 20 years and is based on the confidence of LM in the high qualification of the professionals of Grupo Oesía, which is the basis for having granted us the Elite Award”.
“Today, we accomplish another milestone being one of the first European companies developing disruptive technologies in a cooperative and constructive relationship with the biggest one”, said Luis Furnells, president and chief executive officer at Grupo Oesía.
Strategic Impact on Spain’s Defense Industry
Lockheed Martin and Spanish industry have a history of collaboration to develop, produce, and integrate systems for both the Spanish government and international markets. This strategic relationship has delivered over $1.6 billion in industrial benefits, including significant purchase orders to Spanish industry, enhancing innovation and economic growth.
The collaboration aims to bolster defense capabilities to meet NATO and EU requirements, aligning with the evolving needs of the Spanish Ministry of Defence and the armed forces.
