Lockheed Martin Australia & New Zealand Chief Executive Raydon Gates, left, and Lockheed Martin Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Keoki Jackson, announced Tuesday the establishment of a new R&D lab in Melbourne. Photo courtesy Lockheed Martin

MELBOURNE, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin will invest $13 million over three years to start up a new multidisciplinary research and development facility in Melbourne, the company announced Tuesday.

The Science Technology Engineering Leadership and Research Laboratory, or STELaR Lab, will undertake research and development to crack technology challenges of the future, Lockheed said in a statement.


It will be the first multidisciplinary facility to be established by Lockheed outside the United States.

The lab will serve as Lockheed's national R&D operations center for its Australian research portfolio, while also undertaking additional internal R&D initiatives.

After opening in 2017, the lab will work in hypersonics, autonomy, robotics and command, control, communications, computing, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance.

Lockheed anticipates the lab will grow to more than 20 employees within three years.

It will be situated in Melbourne's emerging technology district.