Lockheed Martin’s dirty history: Human rights abuses, bribes, lobbying scandals

Lockheed Martin produces weaponry linked to violations against Palestinians, and surveillance aircraft for the U.S.-Mexico border

The foremost global defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corporation is renowned for its vast arsenal of weaponry. Its production encompasses various weapon systems frequently implicated in violations of international law against Palestinian civilians, alongside surveillance aircraft employed for border monitoring along the U.S.–Mexico border. 

Based in Bethesda, Maryland, the corporation specializes in the development, production and distribution of a broad range of military assets, encompassing fighter aircraft, combat helicopters, armored vehicles, munitions, surveillance apparatus, and other defense and reconnaissance systems.

Since 2009, it has maintained its position as the foremost military supplier globally, boasting an annual revenue of $67 billion as of 2022, with a staggering 96% stemming from its defense ventures. 

With a longstanding history of providing weaponry and gear to both domestic and international armed forces, Lockheed Martin has secured contracts totaling $429 billion with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) between 2008 and 2021.

Furthermore, it emerged as one of the leading suppliers for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, contributing to the establishment of a “smart/virtual” barrier along the U.S.–Mexico border from 2005 to 2019.

 

War crimes against Palestinian civilians

Lockheed Martin furnishes the Israeli government with an extensive array of armaments, spanning from fighter planes and attack helicopters to missiles. These armaments, often procured via the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Financing program, are deeply intertwined with Israel’s primary weaponry systems. 

Over the years, these armaments have been recurrently employed against Palestinian civilians, leading to numerous casualties and extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and vital utilities like water and electricity networks.

This has resulted in allegations of war crimes perpetrated by Israel during several significant military campaigns in the Gaza Strip, which has been under an unlawful blockade since 2007. 

In these conflicts: 

• “Operation Breaking Dawn” in 2022 saw Israel’s unprovoked offensive resulting in the deaths of at least 33 Palestinians, including 17 civilians, with evidence of war crimes documented by Amnesty International. 
• “Operation Guardian of the Walls” in 2021 witnessed the killing of at least 261 Palestinians, including 67 children and 41 women, with evidence of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity highlighted by various human rights organizations, leading to an examination by the International Criminal Court. 
• “Operation Protective Edge” in 2014 resulted in the deaths of at least 2,131 Palestinians, the majority of whom were civilians, with evidence of war crimes published by multiple human rights organizations. 
• “Operation Pillar of Defense” in 2012 led to the deaths of 174 Palestinians, including numerous civilians, with evidence of war crimes documented by the U.N. and international human rights groups. 
• “Operation Cast Lead” in 2008–2009 saw the deaths of at least 1,385 Palestinians, many of whom were civilians, with evidence of war crimes published by various entities, including the U.N.
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The F-16 and F-35 aircraft provided by Lockheed Martin to the Israeli Air Force have been central to these operations.

The F-16, in particular, has been a cornerstone of Israel’s air power since the 1970s and has been utilized extensively in assaults on Gaza. Similarly, the advanced F-35, employed since 2018, has played a significant role in airstrikes, including those during the 2021 offensive. 

Lockheed Martin’s provision of at least 102 F-16s between 2004 and 2009 and at least 50 F-35s between 2016 and 2021, alongside related maintenance and services, underscores its role in bolstering Israel’s military capabilities. 

Furthermore, Lockheed Martin’s Longbow Hellfire missiles, supplied to Israel between 1990 and 2006, have been extensively utilized by the Israeli Air Force in attacks on Gaza, resulting in civilian casualties that have drawn international condemnation.

The company’s electro-optical sensors and radar technologies, tailored for Boeing Apache helicopters, enhance their targeting capabilities. 

Additionally, Lockheed Martin supplies Israel with the M-270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), which was used during the 2006 Lebanon War to launch cluster munitions, resulting in civilian deaths and widespread damage, raising concerns of violations of international humanitarian law. 

U.S. weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corp. and Israeli defense contractor Rafael announced their collaboration in developing a high-energy laser system for aerial defense. 

The system will be based on Rafael’s “Iron Beam,” a laser missile-defense system developed in partnership with Israel’s Defense Ministry. 

Having undergone successful testing this year, Iron Beam is slated for deployment over the next decade. The joint venture targets the American and global markets, with development, testing and production planned in both the U.S. and Israel. 

Frank St. John, Lockheed’s chief operating officer, underscored the significance of the collaboration in enabling customers to outpace adversaries, expressing pride in being Israel’s security partner. 

Rafael, a state-owned entity, conceived Iron Beam as a complementary addition to Israel’s existing aerial defense systems, including the renowned yet more expensive Iron Dome, forming part of a comprehensive defense strategy against diverse threats. 

Surveillance of the US-Mexico border

Lockheed Martin, a major contractor for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), secured contracts worth $1.1 billion between 2005 and 2021 for surveillance, aircraft maintenance, and other services. They provide CBP with P-3 Orion aircraft for patrolling the “extended border” and maintain a fleet of 14 such planes.

Additionally, they supply helicopters and data processing services for border screening. A previous contract with the Department of Homeland Security for upgrading security operations is no longer active due to a merger with Leidos. 

Political Influence 

From 1998 to November 2022, Lockheed Martin allocated more than $305 million toward influencing the U.S. government’s decisions on a wide array of issues, spanning tax policies affecting the company, defense budget allocations, funding for projects like the F-35 and Army missile defense, aerospace concerns and cybersecurity measures.

Concurrently, the company’s employee political action committee (PAC) directed over $35 million in campaign contributions from 1995 to September 2021, distributing funds to candidates from both major political parties, Republicans and Democrats, via direct donations and other affiliated PACs. 

Establishing robust connections with the U.S. military, Lockheed Martin has engaged 44 former high-ranking officials from the Department of Defense (DOD) since 2007.

 Lobbying Fraud 

Lockheed Martin settled with the Justice Department for $4.7 million over charges of using taxpayer funds to unlawfully compensate a lobbyist, a former U.S. Representative, in securing a massive, non-competitive $2.4 billion annual contract for running national labs. The scandal, marked by illegal influence peddling, highlights several egregious aspects: 

• Scale: The contract for Sandia, managing key components of the nation’s nuclear weapons complex, represents a significant portion of defense spending, even for Lockheed. 
• Illegality: Lobbying with taxpayer money is expressly prohibited by law, as outlined in the Byrd Amendment. The Department of Energy Inspector General confirmed the wrongdoing. 
• Lack of Competition: The absence of competitive bidding for such a crucial contract is concerning. Lockheed’s subsidiary, Sandia Corp., has held the contract without competition since 1993, raising anti-competitive issues. 
• Undocumented Payments: The undisclosed $10,000 monthly payments to the former Representative underscore the clandestine nature of the influence peddling. 
• Fraudulent Billing: Sandia Corp. unlawfully billed the Treasury for the lobbying expenses, constituting fraud. The Justice Department settlement included restitution for violating the Byrd Amendment and the False Claims Act. 

This includes the presence of Jeh Johnson, former Secretary of Homeland Security, who currently serves on the company’s board of directors. 

Bribery scandals 

The Lockheed bribery scandals unfolded as an international political and corporate debacle in 1976. They emerged when it became public knowledge that Lockheed, the U.S. aircraft manufacturer, had disbursed $22 million in bribes to foreign dignitaries during negotiations for the sale of the F-104 Starfighter, dubbed as “the Deal of the Century.” In Japan, the scandal resulted in the arrest of Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and a failed assassination attempt on the life of Yoshio Kodama, a yakuza leader and influential right-wing figure.

In 1977, the U.S. Congress enacted the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, prohibiting U.S. corporations from engaging in bribery abroad. Despite intentions to promote transparency, political scientist Chalmers Johnson argued that the law exacerbated the U.S. trade deficit, benefited large American law firms, and redirected future business to competitors. In Japan, except for Kodama, all defendants were convicted.

In October 1983, Tanaka himself was found guilty of accepting $2.1 million to facilitate Lockheed’s TriStar purchase by All Nippon Airways. He received a four-year prison sentence and was fined the amount of the bribe. 

Source: Newsroom