Lockheed-Martin to open major subsidiary in Israel and making move to acquire local companies..

According to the Times of Israel, Lockheed-Martin announced earlier this year that it intended to open a facility in Israel specializing in information technology, but, according to Executive Vice President Patrick Dewar, work is to begin immediately on expanding that project into a full-fledged subsidiary of the tech defense giant, Maariv reported on Sunday.

Dewar, who is currently visiting Israel, said over the weekend that the company, in addition to building a branch for IT and cyber protection, will seek to expand cooperation with Israeli defense companies and to work in the domestic security market.

The company already has deep ties with Israel’s defense industry and is a major supplier of planes and technology to the Israeli Air Force. Most recently, in 2010, the IAF ordered 20 F-35 stealth jet fighters in a multi-billion dollar contract.

In June of this year, Lockheed-Martin announced that, in conjunction with Israeli company Bynet Data Communications, it was contracted to build a new technology campus for the IDF Intelligence Corp. in the Negev, and in April, Israel Aerospace Industries, Israel’s major defense company, won a bid to build and supply the wings for Lockheed’s F-35 fighter series.

In October, the Pentagon announced it had selected a helmet for the F-35 manufactured by Israeli firm Elbit Systems together with Rockwell Collins.