4iG Space and Defence Technologies Ltd (4iG SDT) and Lockheed Martin Global, Inc have signed a preliminary agreement to prepare potential industrial cooperation in connection with long-range rocket artillery systems, the Hungarian company announced on Wednesday.
Under the agreement, the parties are examining an industrial model that could support the integration of HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) – type launcher systems in Hungary, including their installation on military trucks, as well as the related technological, development and manufacturing activities.
4iG noted that Lockheed Martin is the world’s largest defence industry group and a leading global player in air defence, missile launch and long-range fire support systems, serving as a strategic partner to more than 60 countries. The company’s activities span aeronautics, missile and fire control systems, rotary-wing and maritime platforms, as well as space technologies and satellite solutions.
Within the group, Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control division is one of the company’s main development hubs for missile and artillery systems. Its flagship long-range rocket artillery solution is HIMARS, which has become a key fire support capability on NATO’s eastern flank and a central element of defence modernization efforts in several allied countries.
According to the statement, the aim of the cooperation is to establish an industrial background that strengthens the Hungarian Defence Forces’ NATO-compatible long-range fire support capabilities over the long term, while bringing high-value-added activities to Hungary, in line with the necessary US and Hungarian government approvals.
The agreement also provides for the creation of a joint Executive Steering Committee, composed of representatives appointed by both companies. The body will oversee the identification and preparation of cooperation opportunities, support the development of new projects, assess potential development, technology and investment models, and examine options for involving Hungarian suppliers.
Commenting on the signing, CEO of 4iG SDT István Sárhegyi said the agreement marks a historic step for Hungary’s defence industry. He stressed that partnering with Lockheed Martin could lay the foundations for domestic capabilities that will define Hungary’s role among NATO’s most reliable and well-prepared partners. Establishing an industrial background linked to HIMARS would represent both a technological leap and the creation of new, high-value-added development and manufacturing capacities in Hungary.
‘The preliminary agreement reinforces defence industry ties with the United States and demonstrates Hungary’s reliability as a partner’
Paula Hartley, Vice President of Tactical Missiles at Lockheed Martin, said the company’s combat-proven long-range rocket artillery solutions contribute to strengthening NATO and Europe’s defence capabilities. She added that the partnership underlines Lockheed Martin’s commitment to supporting European allies in developing industrial capabilities and meeting their NATO obligations.
4iG added that the preliminary agreement reinforces defence industry ties with the United States and demonstrates Hungary’s reliability as a partner in handling technologies subject to strict export controls. This is the first cooperation launched by 4iG SDT with a major US defence company, and represents a significant step forward in strengthening Hungary’s defence and industrial capabilities.
The preparatory process now under way could help create capacities that uniquely link Hungarian industry with US defence innovation at a regional level. 4iG is a premium-category issuer on the Budapest Stock Exchange, with its shares closing up 9.09 per cent at 4,440 forints on Tuesday.
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