Lockheed Martin’s aeronautics division is getting new leadership, with president Greg Ulmer retiring and Skunk Works general manager O.J. Sanchez tapped to succeed him.
The change puts Sanchez, a former Air Force fighter pilot, in charge of a massive portfolio anchored by the F-35, one of the largest acquisition programs in Pentagon history. In its May 6 release, Lockheed described the aeronautics division as being a “$30 billion business with more than 35,000 people.”
Ulmer, who spent more than five years working on the F-35 program before moving up to his current job in 2021, will serve as a strategic advisor during a transition period, Lockheed said in its release.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve alongside the talented men and women of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. I am proud of all we have accomplished together in support of our customers and their critical missions, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this remarkable team,” Ulmer said in a statement.
Sanchez has been at Skunk Works, the famed research and development division, since the start of 2025. Prior to that, he led Lockheed’s Integrated Fighter Group, which supports the F-22 and F-16, and its F-22 program.
“I am honored to step into the role of president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and grateful for the trust placed in me,” Sanchez said in a statement. “Aeronautics has an extraordinary legacy, a critical mission and some of the best talent in the industry, and I look forward to building on that strong foundation as we continue to deliver results that matter for our customers and our company.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, Sanchez has been at Lockheed for nearly 12 years. Prior to that, he was an F-22 pilot in the Air Force and finished his career at the Pentagon with a stint on the Joint Staff.
In his new role, Sanchez will be tasked with keeping the massive F-35 program on track after an eventful few years.
Issues with the fighter’s Technology Refresh 3 update caused the Pentagon to pause deliveries from July 2023 to July 2024, creating a logjam only broken when the military accepted a “truncated” version of the software.
Lockheed then delivered a record 191 F-35s in 2025 as it worked to clear its backlog. But in March, Air & Space Forces Magazine confirmed that the military is now preparing to accept F-35s without radars due to delays with Northrop Grumman’s next-generation AN/APG-85.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon slashed its purchase of F-35s in the 2026 budget to 47 jets, with officials saying they wanted to focus on buying spare parts to increase readiness and wait to ramp up production until work is complete on the Block 4 upgrade. For 2027, the president’s $1.5 trillion defense budget request includes 85 F-35s of all variants, though some experts have called for even higher procurement numbers.
Because the F-35 was cleared to enter full-rate production in 2024, the Pentagon and Lockheed may choose to negotiate a multiyear contract for the next lot of aircraft. Proponents say such a deal would provide a stable demand signal for industry and drive down prices for the government.
Besides the F-35, Sanchez will also oversee other major Lockheed aircraft programs like the C-130, F-22, and F-16. The firm is also a contender for future increments of the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. During Sanchez’s time at Skunk Works, the division unveiled its new “Vectis” autonomous drone as a CCA option, while also saying it could compete for other programs.