- Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and NLR deepened their tech partnership at NL-US Defense Industry Days
- Work spans matured thermoplastics and new joint UAS development
- The partners aim to link Dutch suppliers to global defense supply chains
Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works and the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Center, or NLR, are extending their 2024 partnership into unmanned aerial systems and Dutch supply chain integration, aiming to support the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
Skunk Works and NLR unveiled the expanded scope at NL-US Defense Industry Days, Lockheed Martin said Thursday. Their collaboration began under a memorandum of understanding signed in Washington in October 2024, and according to the partners, it has since moved from exploratory talks toward transitioning laboratory research into operational capabilities for the Dutch air force.
What Does the Expanded Partnership Cover?
The next phase of work will center on four areas. The first is connectivity to the Dutch industrial base, through which the partners intend to position Dutch companies within the international defense supply chain. The second is military operational analysis, which the organizations aim to use to narrow the gap between the Netherlands’ mission needs and its formal capability requirements.
The remaining two pillars are technology roadmap alignment and joint work on unmanned aerial systems, including the enabling technologies behind them. Of the four, only the drone effort was not among the initiatives cited when the original agreement was signed.
What Has the Collaboration Produced So Far?
During the first two years, the partners set up joint frameworks, workshops and specialized working groups to manage the security and operational demands of confidential technology development. According to the organizations, those structures helped bridge their distinct institutional cultures and opened the way to a more ambitious roadmap.
Ron Fehlen, vice president and general manager of Skunk Works, identified thermoplastics, a class of materials used in lightweight aircraft structures, as one of the technologies the partners have matured under the agreement. He said Lockheed Martin intends to use the continued collaboration to develop new solutions to aerospace and defense challenges.
How Does the Deal Align With Dutch Defense Priorities?
NLR CEO Tineke van der Veen linked the expansion to the Netherlands’ Defence White Paper 2026, which describes NATO as the cornerstone of Dutch defense and the U.S. as the country’s most important ally.
“We believe that modern aerospace development relies on global integration rather than isolation, making cross-border partnerships essential to deliver systems that no single nation can build alone,” van der Veen said. She added that NLR plans to work with Skunk Works on the air force’s highest priorities.
Founded in 1919, NLR connects scientific research with Dutch industry and government. The extended agreement also adds to Lockheed Martin’s existing business in the Netherlands, which includes an order covering extended-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles and Hellfire missiles.
