With cautious optimism, some defense firms lock in on prototypes to drive demand

As defense spending looks up in the U.S. and abroad, some defense firms are betting on “self-funded” prototypes. And while it’s not a new practice, there seems to be renewed emphasis by new-to-defense companies and some primes looking to preempt threats and programs of record. Lockheed Martin CEO James Taiclet said the company is honing a five-year shift in its research-and-development strategy that focuses more on corporate-level initiatives, such as the development of au