A 64,500-square-foot annex to Lockheed Martin's cruise missile production facility in Alabama has officially been opened.

The opening of the annex will help the company meet increasing national and international orders for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, the extended range JASSM, and the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, or LRASM.

Lockheed Martin said it spent $16.8 million to build the structure and an undisclosed amount to furnish and equip it.

"The completion of the cruise missile annex represents the first fruits of Lockheed Martin's partnership with Alabama to promote long-term growth in Pike County," said Site Director David Anderson. "So far in 2015, we have hired over 75 employees to fill high-tech positions at our Pike County facility, 20 of whom support cruise missile final assembly."

Lockheed Martin's facility in Troy, Ala., has more than 370 employees in total, including 150 who directly support cruise missile programs.