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2024-11-11

Lockheed Advances Strategies with Multi-Domain Focus

In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, characterised by advancements in artificial intelligence, drones, and cyber threats, military missions are becoming increasingly complex and dynamic. To address these challenges, Lockheed Martin has adopted a 21st Century Security strategy that prioritises connecting systems and driving innovation with a focus on mission outcomes.

The mission-centric approach involves working closely with military forces worldwide and collaborating with industry experts to ensure that defence technologies are developed and delivered to meet real-world needs.

By aligning technology development with specific mission requirements, the company aims to accelerate outcomes and provide effective solutions for the challenges faced by modern militaries.

The approach ensures that new technologies are not simply created in isolation but are designed to work seamlessly together and deliver tangible benefits on the battlefield.

Here’s how the company is implementing the strategy:

Extended Reach Integration

The Extended-Range variant, known as the Extended-Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS), has now entered production. This variant is designed to double the range of the current system, increasing it from 70 kilometres to 150 kilometres, thereby offering highly enhanced operational flexibility to forces in the field.

The company is also contributing to the advancement of the United States Army’s Joint Integrated Fires vision, which aims to integrate offensive and defensive systems within highly contested environments.

The goal of the initiative is to enable seamless coordination and communication between systems, ensuring enhanced operational effectiveness.

Recent testing events, such as the Valiant Shield 2024 exercise and a captive carry test, have demonstrated the successful integration of existing technologies.

These trials have shown how advanced systems can work together to facilitate rapid, data-driven decision-making across multiple operational domains.

Swift Modernisation Upgrades

The UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter’s versatility allows the United States Army to make essential upgrades swiftly and cost-effectively, enabling faster delivery of new capabilities to soldiers. Lockheed Martin is supporting the Army’s modernisation efforts by integrating GE Aerospace’s T901 Improved Turbine Engine and investing in the development of advanced systems such as the Modular Open System Approach (MOSA), Matrix autonomy system, and Launched Effects.

The integration of the Pilotage Distributed Aperture System (PDAS) will offer multifunctional capabilities, including universal threat detection, GPS-denied navigation, and improved situational awareness in degraded visual environments. With MOSA as a core design principle, PDAS aims to enhance aircraft survivability against evolving threats.

As technology advances rapidly, the Army requires cost-effective ways to upgrade legacy aircraft.

Sikorsky, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, has introduced a Scalable Digital Backbone kit for the UH-60M. This kit digitises the aircraft efficiently, offering many MOSA benefits without the expense of a major overhaul, reducing costs and upgrade timelines for future enhancements.

In areas like the Indo-Pacific, with far-flung islands and varying terrain, Division commanders will rely on the Black Hawk helicopter to transfer Soldiers and supplies rapidly and safely across long distances.

The UH-60M’s new Improved Turbine Engine (ITE) will give the Division commander more options for scheduling and executing air assault missions. It will deliver more power and improved fuel efficiency, so the aircraft can fly further and carry more payload on a single gas tank.

These efforts will mature technology for use across the Army’s future fleet, resulting in a more powerful, digital and connected Black Hawk helicopter that will give ground commanders a decisive advantage in the future fight.

Upgrading Sniper Capabilities

The company’s engineers are enhancing the Sniper targeting pod, a system widely used on 4th Generation aircraft, to transform it into a communications and computing node capable of supporting combined joint all-domain command and control.

The development aims to improve coordination and connectivity across multiple platforms in complex mission environments.

The upgrades to the Sniper pod will allow it to support missions where 5th Generation F-35 fighters, equipped with advanced sensors, act as forward observers.

In this role, the F-35 can identify and track targets before sharing precise coordinates with other assets, such as F-16 fighters and ground-based command and control systems.

These systems would then enable the deployment of Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) munitions, delivered either by High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) or M270 l aunchers.

Two technical enhancements in the new Sniper Networked Targeting Pod will ensure 4th Generation aircraft are in sync. An advanced datalink will enable the sharing of target and surveillance information.

A Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET) radio will support a decentralised mesh network of multiple air, ground and sea platforms, all ready to share and act on that information. 5G.MIL Unified Network Solutions will ensure the data remains highly secure and available to the right user at the right time.

The Apache Fire Control sensors, now designated as the Gen 3 Target Acquisition Designation Sights/Pilot Night Vision System, continue to enhance targeting and pilotage capabilities for Apache aircrews. These advanced sensors, installed on the AH-64E Version 6 Apache attack helicopters, include the latest upgrades designed to improve operational effectiveness in a range of mission environments.

The Gen 3 Day Sensor Assembly, extended Longbow Fire Control Radar and Gen 2 Radar Frequency Interferometer (RFI) enable Apache aircrews to detect and destroy threats during day, night and in adverse weather conditions.

By enhancing the ability to detect, track and engage targets in the most challenging environments at extended ranges, the Apache Fire Control’s continuous modernisation initiatives will enable the U.S. Army to transform in contact and add the Apache’s ability to dominate in the Air-Ground Littoral.

Layered Defence Integration

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) Weapon System successfully integrated and launched a PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) to intercept a tactical ballistic missile target using proven hit-to-kill technology in 2022. The successful demonstration confirms that the THAAD Weapon System can be deployed in various locations with minimal Patriot equipment. Deployment is limited to PAC-3 MSE M903 launchers and PAC-3 MSE interceptors.

The integration enhances a layered missile defence system for joint all-domain operations, providing war fighters more options with existing equipment to select the best interceptor for any threat.

Customised EW Solutions

Engineers are combining electromagnetic spectrum technology with microelectronics to develop customised electronic warfare (EW) packages tailored to specific mission requirements.

This new technology provides capability enhancements in a smaller and lighter package, addressing size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints for airborne platforms.

As part of Army modernisation efforts, the company’s engineers have been selected to develop the Gen 3 Radar Frequency Interferometer/Radar Warning Receiver APR-48B system for the U.S. Army’s Apache helicopter fleet. This system is the first to utilise a radio frequency system on a chip within the APR-48B electronic warfare system.

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