Skunk Works

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

Many companies have an autonomous research group focused on advanced projects. A few popular examples include Google X, Amazon’s Lab126, or the famous Xerox PARC.

These divisoned were inspired by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, the original research lab. The lab came into prominence starting in WWII with the P-80 Shooting Star and has produced groundbreaking aircraft one after the other with the the SR-71 Blackbird, the F-117 Nightwing, and the F-35 Lightning II to name a few.

Skunk Works Logo

Skunk Works was so successful that it’s used as a term to describe a group with a high degree of autonomy focused on working on advanced or secret projects.