Scouting A New Era of Defense

In the early days of defense, it was up to a small team of daring scouts to survey the surrounding scene and offer valuable information about environmental features and dangers ahead. Today, Lockheed Martin is taking a similar approach for a broader and more integrated battlefield.

Vice President of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Advanced Programs Jason Reynolds leads a team of bright professionals dedicated to scouting advanced technologies that will tackle 21st Century Security challenges.

“As the battlespace becomes increasingly complex, it’s no longer enough to know what our customers want but to anticipate what they don’t even know they need for the future,” said Jason. “Advanced Programs is out in front of Lockheed Martin’s traditional product solutions to make sure we’re on the right path.”

By adopting the resilient, agile and innovative spirit of the time-honored cavalry, Jason’s team of “Scouts” are discovering ways to achieve what’s never been done before.

“Advanced Programs is the place where things happen unexpectedly, and Scouts have to be comfortable in that environment,” said Jason. “The goal is not always to get it right the first time but to try, fail fast, learn, try again and repeat that process until we succeed.”
 

In the past decade alone, our Scouts have leveraged tools and best practices from our customers and across the enterprise to design and demonstrate next generation technologies that have defied expectations. From exploring synchronized capabilities across warfighting domains to scaling Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, the team is discovering ways to continue building on the learned knowledge from existing frameworks and legacy hardware to tap into a new arsenal of capabilities.

“Instead of focusing on what we don’t know, we have to start with what we do and leverage data as a strategic asset,” said Jason. “We’re now seeing how we’re adding to our core capabilities to deliver for our customers in ways that haven’t been done before.”

To sift through decades of data, our Scouts are integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into their processes, technologies and tools. By doing so, they’re able to gain insights that set our programs on a fast-track to fielding.

“Adopting a digitally connected, model-based enterprise is the first step to delivering reliable, affordable solutions to our customers,” said Vice President of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Advanced Programs Execution and Transition Steven Botwinik. “In fact, many of the discriminating technologies that protect the U.S. military forces and its allies today came from forward-looking research and development efforts in Advanced Programs.”

360° Protection: Lockheed Martin’s next-generation sensor systems, such as the Pilotage Distributed Aperture Sensor (PDAS) system, enhance the survivability of any aircraft pilot and crew by providing 360-degree situational awareness in various applications with a light-weight and cost-effective platform. The use of open-architecture processors (OAPs) support sustained advancement through enabling the integration of evolving sensor and processing tools.

Assured Bandwidth: The integration of Fifth Generation (5G) communication systems with legacy tactical networks enables unmatched resiliency in contested environments. Lockheed Martin’s 5G.MIL® initiative is looking at ways commercial 5G networks might work in ground combat environments, installed, say, in armored or utility vehicles.

Layered Defense: Building on its position as a capable producer of established kinetic weapon systems, Lockheed Martin is enhancing its directed energy solutions with the rapid maturation of reliable, simple-to-use systems that provide comprehensive security across the electromagnetic spectrum. MORFIUS™, our performance-proven, high-power microwave-based interceptor, is engineered for multi-engagement with low collateral effects for counter-unmanned aerial system missions beyond the range of conventional systems.

Grid Resiliency: Electric grids are undergoing unprecedented change as intermittent, non-dispatchable renewables continue to expand and displace traditional power generation sources. Long-duration energy storage that can store and discharge for more than four hours is the key to reliably, economically, and sustainably balancing the grid.GridStar® Flow, our long-duration energy storage solution, allows grid participants to manage variability for extended periods, capture value across a wide range of applications and time horizons, and evolve with market needs.

“Lockheed Martin’s mission is to ensure that the U.S. military and its allies remain ahead of the evolving threat environment” said Steven. “One way we’re making this happen is by implementing rapid prototyping and investing in advanced computing capabilities that promise fast, formidable and decisive action.”

The seamless infusion of digital engineering into the fabric of Lockheed Martin enables our teams to efficiently develop cost-effective solutions that better protect warfighters and preserve global threat deterrence.

“At Lockheed Martin, we’re always anticipating what’s next and partnering with our customers to look for the next generation of capabilities,” said Jason.

Realizing the 21st Century Security vision relies on a team of Scouts determined to pioneer new approaches that will help keep U.S. and allied forces ahead of ready. By bringing in today’s top talent, Lockheed Martin is able to deliver sustainable solutions to tomorrow’s toughest challenges.

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