Lockheed Martin buys high-speed wind tunnel

Lockheed Martin has purchased the high speed wind tunnel it has leased for years from Triumph Aerostructures for research and development testing.

The wind tunnel, or HSWT, is located in Grand Prairie, Texas, and is only one of two of its kind in the country. The other is located in Missouri.

Lockheed Martin, which did not disclose the purchase price, said the buy will enable it to invest in upgrades and manage scheduling, including testing by other companies and government agencies.

"The High Speed Wind Tunnel in Grand Prairie is an aerospace engineering treasure, serving as a proving ground for hundreds of flight vehicles designed over the last six decades for everything from space exploration to national defense," said HSWT manager Mike McWithey. "We made this purchase to ensure that development legacy extends well into the future."

The HSWT is a subsonic, transonic and supersonic testing facility with adjustable Mach-number wind tunnels. Products developed at the facility include the Multiple Launch Rocket System, the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, the Army Tactical Missile System, PAC-3, PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement, the A-7 Corsair II and the Space Shuttle, Lockheed Martin said.

The company's planned upgrades to the HSWT include a new air-compressor system and modernized data-acquisition system and utility systems.