Lockheed Martin appeared as the result of the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in the spring of 1995. It is a US aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technologies company. It is among the largest companies in these industries.
Meaning and history
Lockheed Martin is an American military-industrial corporation, which emerged in 1995 as a result of the merger of Lockheed Corporation (aircraft construction) and Martin Marietta Corporation (aerospace and electronic products). The company specializes in aircraft construction, aerospace engineering, shipbuilding, postal automation, and airport infrastructure and logistics.
Today Lockheed Martin is the leader of the SIPRI ranking of the world’s 100 largest arms manufacturers and military service providers. The main part of the corporation’s annual revenues is provided by the fulfillment of military-industrial orders from the U.S. government, in particular, the Department of Defense.
Moreover, Lockheed Martin is one of the companies selected by NASA to develop and manufacture prototype spacecraft for the moon landing as part of the new Artemis space program.
Among other things, the corporation is the manufacturer of the famous F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II fighters, MGM-140 ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles, missiles for Patriot SAMs (PAC-3 MSE), and Javelin air defense systems.
What is Lockheed Martin?
Lockheed Martin is an American military-industrial corporation, which was established in 1995 from a merger of two businesses, Lockheed and Martin Marietta. The company specializes in aircraft, aerospace, shipbuilding, postal automation, and airport infrastructure and logistics segments.
1995 – 2022
The Lockheed Martin logo exists in several versions. All of them are a combination of two basic elements, a stylized star and the company name. The star has only two finished points, while the other half is only barely visible – some of the rays are missing. This creates a dynamic impression. Also, the shape it forms looks like a rocket or an aircraft flying down.
In one of the versions of the logo, both the star and the wordmark are blue. The letters are bold and italicized. They belong to a rather legible and generic sans.
In several alternative versions of the Lockheed Martin logo, the name of the company is light grey. It is also bold and italicized, yet the letters are larger and closer to each other.
2022 – Today
The redesign of 2024 has kept the geometry of the Lockheed Martin visual identity, but modernized its lettering part, rewriting it in the uppercase of a stronger and more distinctive sans-serif typeface with clean and stable slanted characters. The shade of blue was intensified, and now the dark-blue on-white composition evokes a sense of professionalism and reliability. As for the Star emblem, it kept its contours untouched, yet in the new hue it became visually sharper.
Tagline
We should also mention the versions with the tagline “We never forget who we’re working for.” The tagline is given in a completely different type than the name of the company. It is an italicized serif font with a subtle handwritten touch.
Font and color
The bold and stable logotype from the primary badge of the Lockheed Martin corporation is set in a heavy and strict sans-serif typeface with lean contours and sharp angles of the characters. The closest font to the one, used for this insignia is, probably, Univers 85 Extra Black Oblique. The lettering here is set in a usual modern font, but due to a large distance between the glyphs, the wordmark looks unique and cool.
As for the color palette of the Lockheed Martin visual identity, it is based on a calm yet intense shade of blue, a color standing for professionalism and expertise, and evoking a sense of trust and reliability.