Lockheed Martin unveils scalable CSUAS solution

US defence prime contractor Lockheed Martin has demonstrated a scaleable, layered defence system designed to detect, track and defeat Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS). The company-funded exercise successfully demonstrated networked detection, tracking and mitigation of Small UASs, says Lockheed Martin.

The demonstration marked the first in a planned series of showcases featuring a defence system designed to defeat SUAS.

This modular, open-architecture solution combines combat-proven command and control with Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled detection and track software, low-cost sensors and an increasing array of effectors, the company said. The solution has been architected to facilitate rapid deployment and seamless integration with other systems. The company says its commitment to open architecture ensures its customers can leverage advanced technologies while its expertise in systems integration and AI-driven software creates resilience against emerging threats.

“Integrating diverse sensors through a user-optimized command and control (C2) system helps simplify threat identification, and we have the complementary technology offerings to convert collected data into actionable information,” said Tyler Griffin, C-UAS director at Lockheed Martin. “Our open architecture approach offers an agile, layered defense solution that accelerates outcomes relative to this dynamic threat.”

Lockheed Martin says highlights of the system include Modular Design based on an open systems approach that allows for rapid integration of best-of-breed sensors, effectors and C2 enhancements; Advanced AI-driven software that enhances threat detection, tracking and mitigation; and Rapid Scalability based on simplified collaboration with partners, ensuring operators stay ahead of the threat curve.

Lockheed Martin says it and its partners successfully showcased the ability to detect, track and perform mitigation techniques against a mix of small UAS, including individual targets and incoming drone swarms.

As operations in Ukraine and elsewhere have shown, rapid coordination is critical, the company says, with only a few minutes to detect, track and defeat a swarm of UAVs. Sensors capable of tracking large numbers of low-flying SUAS must be able to instantly communicate with a command and control system that sorts targets, matches them to interceptors and manages dozens of simultaneous engagements, it states.