Lockheed Martin : Artificial Intelligence Powers Novel ISR Capability For Operations In Denied Communications Environments
May 07, 2020 at 07:32 am EDT
Share
In partnership with the Air Force Test Pilot School, Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Skunk Works successfully demonstrated an autonomous Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) system to enhance operational effectiveness for the warfighter in denied communications environments.
'As a remotely piloted aircraft pilot, having the opportunity to test an emerging technology and see it perform functions required for operations in denied communications environments sparks the imagination of what is possible in future ISR systems,' said Capt. Josh Rountree, Test Management Project Lead at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School.
Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence, the autonomous ISR system, integrated into an F-16 through a Lockheed Martin-developed pod solution, was able to detect and identify the location of the target, automatically route to the target, and capture an image to confirm the target in a simulated, denied communications environment. Using an autonomous ISR system to penetrate contested environments and gather critical intelligence for effective decision making when standard communication between systems is not an option keeps the warfighter out of harm's way while still achieving mission objectives.
'As the battlespace becomes increasingly contested, human-machine teams will enable operators to collect critical intelligence in denied communications environments, ensuring our warfighters get information they need when they need it,' said George Hellstern, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works program manager for artificial intelligence solutions. 'We are proud to partner to advance a novel capability, allowing the warfighter to adapt in a rapidly changing operational environment and still get critical data to perform the mission.'
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works has decades of experience developing trusted autonomous and artificial intelligence technologies to help humans maximize safety, performance and situational awareness across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains. As new threats emerge, autonomous and artificial intelligence technologies will enable collaborative operations between the human-machine team to project power in the face of an increasingly contested environment.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 110,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
Lockheed Martin Corporation specializes in the design, manufacturing and marketing of aeronautic, submarine, and aerospace systems. Net sales break down by activity as follows:
- sale of aeronautic systems (40.7%): military and civilian aircraft, primarily for government organizations;
- sale of helicopters, mission and electronic systems (24%): military and commercial helicopters, ships, sea and land-based missile defense systems, radars, sensors, sea and air-based mission and combat systems, training systems, cyber solutions, command, control and communication systems, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, simulation and training systems, etc.;
- sales of aerospace systems (18.7%): satellite systems, missile systems and space transport systems;
- sale of air defense and fire control systems (16.6%): air and missile defense systems, tactical missiles, precision strike weapons systems, fire control systems, etc. The group also offers support services for mission operations, preparation, technical support, integration services, etc.
Net sales break down by source of income into sales of products (83.3%) and services (16.7%).
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: the United States (74.3%), Europe (9.5%), Asia/Pacific (8.3%), Middle East (5.8%) and other (2.1%).
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION 
