[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 122 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 122

 Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and 
 its significant contributions to the national security of the United 
                                States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 7, 2018

     Mr. Knight (for himself and Mr. Cook) submitted the following 
  concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and 
 its significant contributions to the national security of the United 
                                States.

Whereas Lockheed Martin is known for building many of the finest military 
        aircraft in the world;
Whereas the Palmdale, California, location of Lockheed Martin is headquarters to 
        the Advanced Development Programs group of the company, which is widely 
        known as the ``Skunk Works'';
Whereas the name the ``Skunk Works''--

    (1) came from ``Li'l Abner'', a satirical comic strip by Al Capp that 
was immensely popular in the 1940s and 1950s;

    (2) in 1943, was first used in reference to the Advanced Development 
Programs group when the Department of the Navy attempted to establish a 
conference call connection and was mistakenly transferred to the XP-80 
program of the Advanced Development Programs group, which due to 
classification could not be identified when the call was answered, and a 
member of the Advanced Development Programs group instead answered the call 
by saying, ``Skunk Works'', in reference to the location of the facility 
next to a malodorous plastics factory in Burbank, California; and

    (3) would later become the name that is used for the Advanced 
Development Programs group today, the ``Skunk Works'';

Whereas the founding father of the Skunk Works was Clarence L. ``Kelly'' 
        Johnson;
Whereas in June 1943, Kelly Johnson and the Skunk Works team designed and 
        delivered the XP-80, which was completed in only 143 days;
Whereas the XP-80 became the P-80, the first operational fighter jet of the 
        United States;
Whereas the XP-80 program set the standard for highly secretive, high priority, 
        rapid execution projects performed on a minimal budget;
Whereas, on August 1, 1955, the Skunk Works first flew the U-2 spy plane with 
        the intention of operating over the Soviet Union and photographing sites 
        of strategic interest;
Whereas the U-2 became one of the most important intelligence tools of the Cold 
        War and continues to be a critical intelligence, surveillance, and 
        reconnaissance asset for the Armed Forces of the United States;
Whereas in 1964, the Skunk Works first flew the SR-71 ``Blackbird'', which is 
        the reigning world record holder for speed over a straight course at 
        2,193.167 miles per hour and served the Air Force from 1966 until 1998;
Whereas in 1964, the Skunk Works flew the first ever high-altitude unmanned 
        aerial vehicle, the D-21, which was launched from an SR-71;
Whereas in 1976, the Skunk Works began production of a stealth fighter aircraft 
        named ``Have Blue'', which went on to become the F-117, the first ever 
        operational stealth aircraft;
Whereas, during the entirety of the Cold War, the Skunk Works was located in 
        Burbank, California;
Whereas after 1989, Lockheed relocated the Skunk Works to Site 10 at Air Force 
        Base Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, where it remains in operation 
        today with more than 2,700 employees;
Whereas the Skunk Works, in partnership with Edwards Air Force Base, has 
        developed and tested aircraft including the U-2, SR-71, F-117, YF-22, X-
        35, as well as other classified projects, in Antelope Valley, 
        California;
Whereas in 2008, the Skunk Works became the only aerospace company ever to 
        receive the highest national honor for technological achievement, the 
        National Medal of Technology and Innovation;
Whereas the Skunk Works was awarded a Collier trophy, the most prestigious award 
        in aviation in the United States--

    (1) in 1958, for the F-104;

    (2) in 1963, for the A-11;

    (3) in 1989, for the F-117A;

    (4) in 1998, for the U-2S/ER-2;

    (5) in 2002, for the joint Strike Fighter/X-35;

    (6) in 2006, for the F-22; and

    (7) in 2013, for the X-47B; and

Whereas the Skunk Works designs, develops, and rapidly produces manned and 
        unmanned advanced technologies serving both military and commercial 
        concerns: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes--
                    (A) the tremendous accomplishments of the men and 
                women at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works on the 75th 
                anniversary of its establishment during World War II; 
                and
                    (B) the indisputable contribution to the national 
                security of the United States by the aircraft designed, 
                developed, and produced at the Skunk Works over the 
                last 75 years; and
            (2) encourages continued invention, innovation, and 
        development of advanced technologies by the Skunk Works for the 
        United States Government, its allies, and commercial partners 
        into the foreseeable future.
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