lockheed campus

The Lockheed Martin campus at Bradford Drive and Sparkman Drive in west Huntsville. (Alabama Media Group file photo)

BETHESDA, Maryland - Lockheed Martin, a major U.S. defense contractor with a workforce of about 800 in Huntsville, announced today that it would be sending about 3,000 employees on furlough because of the government shutdown.

The furloughs begin Monday, according to a statement posted on the Lockheed Martin website.

The impact on the Huntsville workforce - which operates at Lockheed's sprawling 57-acre campus at Bradford Drive and Sparkman Drive -- was not immediately clear today.

"Today's announcement affects all our business areas across the country," Lockheed spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in an email today to Alabama Media Group. "We remain in discussions with our customers to assess individual program impacts.

"This is an ongoing situation and it's premature to say where the immediate effects are right now."

While today's announcement said about 3,000 workers would be affected, Lockheed said the number could grow if the government shutdown continues.

"I'm disappointed that we must take these actions and we continue to encourage our lawmakers to come together to pass a funding bill that will end this shutdown," Marillyn A. Hewson, Lockheed Martin Chief Executive Officer and President, said in the statement.

"In an effort to minimize the impact on our employees, we are directing affected employees to use available vacation time so they can continue to receive their pay and benefits. We hope that Congress and the Administration are able to resolve this situation as soon as possible."