To ensure Lockheed Martin remains at the forefront of advancement across the aerospace and defense industry, we are pushing the innovative envelope in key areas including:
1. Doubling-down on Air-Space Integration
In today’s complex and rapidly changing threat environment, the need for seamless integration between air and space capabilities is more critical than ever. Air-Space Integration (ASI) is the key to realizing the full potential of Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2), further enabling our customers to achieve resilient and efficient cross-domain effects during multi-domain operations.
To advance ASI, Lockheed Martin is bolstering its research and development in key areas including leveraging artificial intelligence and autonomy along with open architectures to seamlessly connect data streams from various mission systems while balancing automated processes with human oversight in high-stakes scenarios. Working closely with our customers, we look forward to advancing ASI to help achieve and sustain all-domain superiority in increasingly contested environments.
2. Pushing the Boundaries of Advanced Communications
Advanced communications are foundational for decision dominance while maintaining operational security and superiority in modern conflicts.
Understanding the growing precedence and demand signal for advanced communications, Lockheed Martin is improving next-generation Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) capabilities by advancing wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) waveform technologies to significantly increase bandwidth and capacity for greater secure ultra-high frequency (UHF) voice and data transmissions. Also, advanced encryption coupled with modular architectures that allow for easy upgrades and integration of emerging technologies will offer superior mission flexibility and enable beyond line-of-sight communications. Additionally, Lockheed Martin is on schedule to launch its self-funded Tactical Satellite (TacSat), on-orbit demonstration that will exhibit advanced cross-linked communications and sensing capabilities. TacSat will feature Lockheed Martin’s first 5G.MIL® payload and will provide cellular-like networking for military space assets across operational proving grounds.
3. Digital Transformation for Greater Production Speed, Scalability, and Interoperability
Space missions are now adopting proliferated network architectures that use hundreds of smaller satellites, spanning multiple orbits. Smaller satellites often provide a lower cost, rapid deployment optionality, and higher flexibility to update technology. And when used to form larger constellations, they foster greater resilience in the face of threats or unforeseen anomalies.
To meet the growing demand for proliferated Low Earth Orbit (pLEO) constellations, Lockheed Martin is leveraging its Small Satellite Processing & Delivery Center (SPD) Center to assemble, integrate and test small satellites. Six scalable, parallel assembly lines can host different classifications of missions simultaneously and accommodate all stages of small satellite development.
Advancements in our Lockheed Martin-developed digital ecosystem (1LMX) are enabling end-to-end systems integration by creating a model-based enterprise with a fully integrated digital thread throughout the design, build and sustain product lifecycle. Using this digital-first approach, we are accelerating program lifecycles, increasing production scalability as well as enhancing systems interoperability.
4. Supercharging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)
With the increase in proliferated constellation, there is an urgent need for more autonomous operations to assist data-deluged satellite operators. The ability to rapidly process and disseminate actionable intelligence from a vast amount of data is crucial for enhancing joint forces situational awareness and informing tactical decisions at the speed of relevance.
Lockheed Martin has already put AI into space. Our self-funded Pony Express 2 demonstrator mission uses a Lockheed Martin developed AI algorithm called Technology for Telemetry Analytics for Universal Artificial Intelligence (T-TAURI) to detect anomalies in satellite telemetry data. T-TAURI facilitates early identification of potential issues faster than a human operator, enabling preventative measures to reduce downtime. Lockheed Martin also uses T-TAURI for streamlining satellite integration and testing, allowing us to deliver complex and highly reliable systems at speed and scale.
Furthermore, Lockheed Martin’s cloud-based Global Automated Target Recognition (GATR) system uses deep learning algorithms and open-source libraries to make operators lives easier by simplifying the tasks associated with identifying, detecting, tracking, and maintaining custody of multiple targets simultaneously.
