Lockheed Martin launched a product center aimed at getting missile technologies from the drawing board to the battlefield faster, part of the defense contractor's effort to respond to growing demand for weapons and shorten development timelines.

The center, called the Strigo Product Center, has been operating for less than two years and has already taken several concepts from initial design through testing, Lockheed said Monday.

The company has committed $250 million to the effort, which focuses on developing radio-frequency sensors, missile seekers and missile datalinks before a military customer has formally specified a requirement.

The approach marks a shift from the traditional defense-development process, in which contractors typically develop weapons and components in response to detailed military requirements. Lockheed says it is instead building a stock of technologies that can be adapted quickly as threats and military needs change.

The initiative comes as the Pentagon and defense contractors face pressure to produce more missiles and other munitions after the U.S. and its allies have drawn down weapons stocks during the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Military officials have warned that some sophisticated weapons can take years to manufacture, creating a challenge as demand for air defenses and other munitions rises.

Lockheed said the center allows concepts to move from a sketch to a tested solution in months rather than years.

Lockheed's Strigo center's technologies use common architectures that can be configured for different missions, including air defense, missile defense and air-to-surface engagements, Lockheed said. Technologies developed through Strigo have already informed aspects of the seeker package for the Precision Strike Missile Increment 2.

The company has been under pressure to expand missile production as global inventories of sophisticated weapons have come under strain. Lockheed said last month that it was developing a cheaper version of the Patriot interceptor that could be manufactured more quickly than its existing high-end model. It has also pledged to substantially increase production of its PAC-3 interceptors in coming years.