Lockheed Martin continues to lead the way in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to support critical missions in an increasingly complex geopolitical context. The company has recognized the need for advanced technologies and has prioritized significant investments in AI and ML. The announcement was made in a press release by the American company on July 29, 2024.
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Lockheed Martin was awarded the AIR contract to develop AI tools for dynamic airborne missions with the goal of achieving superior airborne tactical autonomy. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)
One of the company's most recent endeavors is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Artificial Intelligence Augmentation (AIR) program. Lockheed Martin was awarded the AIR contract to develop AI tools for dynamic airborne missions, aiming to achieve superior airborne tactical autonomy. The project focuses on delivering an advanced modeling and simulation (M&S) approach to create superior AI agents for live, multi-ship, beyond visual range (BVR) missions.
As part of this project, Lockheed Martin is developing advanced M&S capabilities using AI-driven models to achieve fast, accurate results and enable rapid training of AI agents. The company's ARISE™ capability standardizes M&S and uses AI to process large amounts of data, resulting in significant savings for the DoD and enhanced warfighter capabilities.
“When creating AI, massive amounts of data and highly accurate simulations are essential,” said Jason Lack, senior fellow for AI and autonomy at Lockheed Martin. “But greater accuracy means greater processing requirements and longer run times. The capabilities developed in DARPA AIR will evolve ARISE, enabling very rapid testing and upgrades to address urgent customer needs. We are also looking to leverage these advanced capabilities for other uses within ARISE and across the company.”
Lockheed Martin's use of AI also extends to aircraft inspections to reduce maintenance costs and improve safety by identifying potential anomalies, and the technology can be applied to a variety of aircraft types across the company.
Close collaboration with customers ensures that AI models are reliable and meet mission requirements. This collaboration is evident in Lockheed Martin's work with the U.S. Navy's Aegis Combat System, where AI/ML helps assess threats and make data-driven decisions. The technology is already playing a key role in updating destroyers to counter Houthi attacks.
The company remains focused on advancing autonomous systems for the U.S. Air Force's Joint Combat Aircraft (CCA) activity. The Skunk Works® team is focused on rapid development and large-scale production, integrating autonomous systems with manned and unmanned systems for optimal mission flexibility. This work continues to focus on 5th generation aircraft integration and develop pioneering open architectures, ground control systems such as MDCX™, and mission systems.
One of the main challenges is data management; currently, humans cannot quickly process all the sensor data they receive. Lockheed Martin is addressing this challenge by demonstrating how AI can analyze different data streams, prototyping an Earth- and space-based digital twin of current global weather conditions for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Such technology improves situational awareness for a range of clients.
Lockheed Martin is also using AI for spacecraft monitoring and control. In the company-funded Combined Joint All-Domain Command & Control (CJADC2) demonstration, AI will autonomously monitor spacecraft telemetry for two small satellites on the Pony Express 2 mission. An onboard AI application, Telemetry Analytics for Universal Artificial Intelligence (T-TAURI), will predict potential failures faster than humans can, allowing problems to be managed proactively.
These efforts demonstrate how Lockheed Martin is leveraging AI and ML to support its customers, with many more innovations to come.
“Lockheed Martin's AI capabilities are designed to help our customers execute missions faster, more accurately and more safely,” said Dr. Steve Walker, Lockheed Martin's chief technology officer. “We're investing heavily in AI across all domains, and by providing an open AI platform that others can build on, we're ensuring warfighters have the capabilities they need, when and where they need them.”
With its expertise in AI and ML, Lockheed Martin is well positioned to lead defense and space technologies and support security solutions for the 21st century. As AI and ML advance, Lockheed Martin will continue to support our customers and find new ways to contribute to the safety and prosperity of the United States and its allies.
