Gordon Johndroe, vice president of worldwide media relations of Lockheed Martin Corp ( LMT ), said "it's too early to tell" whether the company will carry out plans, announced last week, to furlough some 3,000 employees beginning on Monday. "We'll continue to be in close contact with the Pentagon and are hopeful that our programs and contracts can move forward." On Friday, Lockheed Martin announced that the number of employees who faced furlough as a result of the government shutdown is expected to increase weekly in the event of a prolonged shutdown. The affected employees include those unable to work because the government facility where they perform their work is closed, because their work requires a government inspection that cannot be completed, or because the company received a stop-work order. Lockheed's military products range from the F-16 Fighting Falcon to missile defense systems.