By Alabama Public Radio
Huntsville, AL – It appears Alabama would benefit from the Army's plans to develop a new air-to-ground missile. The companies competing for the contract say they would give the job to Alabama workers. Massachusetts-based Raytheon Company says the work would be assigned to employees in Huntsville. Lockheed Martin, based in Maryland, says it would give the work to its plant in Troy. The third competitor, a joint venture between Boeing and Northrop Grumman, has said it would assign the project to plants in Huntsville. The U-S military says it needs the new Joint Common Missile to replace three older systems that destroy tanks and defensive positions.