PHOTO: REUTERS[MARYLAND] Lockheed Martin’s fourth-quarter earnings missed analyst estimates – despite record deliveries of its stealthy F-35 fighter jets and a 9.1 per cent increase in sales. This was below analysts’ expectations of a decline from a year earlier to US$5.86 a share, data compiled by Bloomberg showed. The company projected net sales of US$77.5 billion to US$80 billion for its 2026 outlook, in line with consensus estimates of US$77.9 billion. In a separate statement, Lockheed said it had signed a framework agreement with the US Department of Defense to quadruple the production of Thaad missile interceptors – from 96 to 400 a year. Lockheed and the Pentagon recently hammered out a framework for boosting production of its Pac-3 missiles that could be applied to other missile systems, a crucial area of growth.