IV 
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 Mar-
tin is headquarters to the Advanced Development Pro-
grams 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 Ad-
vanced Development Programs group when the Depart-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:15 Jun 08, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC122.IH
HC122
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
•HCON 122 IH 
ment 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 Clar-
ence L. ‘‘Kelly’’ Johnson; 
Whereas in June 1943, Kelly Johnson and the Skunk Works 
team designed and delivered the XP–80, which was com-
pleted 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 se-
cretive, 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 inter-
est; 
Whereas the U–2 became one of the most important intel-
ligence tools of the Cold War and continues to be a crit-
ical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance asset 
for the Armed Forces of the United States; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:15 Jun 08, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC122.IH
HC122
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
•HCON 122 IH 
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, Cali-
fornia, 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 aero-
space 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; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:15 Jun 08, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC122.IH
HC122
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
•HCON 122 IH 
(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 pro-
duces manned and unmanned advanced technologies serv-
ing both military and commercial concerns: Now, there-
fore, 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 es-
tablishment 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. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:15 Jun 08, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HC122.IH
HC122
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS