Top 6 Innovations for the Army

 

Greater Power, Payload and Intelligence in the Lower-Tier Air Domain

As the Army looks to the future, it must be ready to operate over larger expanses of land and water, fight in an all-domain environment and counter increasingly sophisticated threats. In the lower-tier air domain, a helicopter offers unmatched versatility, reach and access across varying terrain for a wide array of missions from air assault to frontline resupply and humanitarian relief.

The Black Hawk is vital to Army operations, with more than 2,100 in the fleet worldwide. From National Guard emergency response to near-peer deterrence operations, no Army mission can be successful without the support of this workhorse, combat-proven helicopter.

So, what does the modernized Black Hawk bring to the Army?

• More power and payload at range with the Improved Turbine Engine (ITE). Sikorsky is preparing for first flight of the first Black Hawk integrated with two of these T901 engines.
• Faster and more efficient upgrades via a new Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) backbone that will ensure the Black Hawk keeps up with the latest innovations. 
• Autonomous capabilities that will make Black Hawk pilots more effective, enhance safety and give ground commanders even more options for critical missions in degraded visual environments. 
• Piloted-drone teaming via Launched Effects to collect and share vital intelligence in contested environments. LE drones can also give the Black Hawk better defenses, strengthening survivability and lethality in contested environments. 

The Black Hawk is constantly innovating to make it tougher, safer and faster.

Expanding UAS Capabilities

Army missions like search and rescue, resupply and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance could benefit from new hybrid-electric drones being designed and tested by Sikorsky. This a twin proprotor ‘rotor blown wing’ configuration that sits on its tail to take-off and land like a helicopter, and transitions easily to horizontal forward flight. This next-generation Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) can be scaled to a variety of missions and operate autonomously from unprepared surfaces or even ships farther and faster than traditional helicopters.

In just over a year, Sikorsky has progressed through preliminary design, simulation, tethered and untethered flight.

Applications of future UAS rotor blown wing aircraft include search and rescue, firefighting monitoring, humanitarian response and pipeline surveilling. Large variants will enable long range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and piloted-drone teaming missions.

 

 

The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) represents a significant leap forward in long-range precision fires, enabling forces to engage targets with pinpoint accuracy and effects. This capability bolsters the military's ability to dominate the battlefield and maintain a strategic edge.

PrSM is a crucial component of the U.S. Army's modernization strategy, designed to replace aging artillery systems and enhance lethality, range and mobility. This next-generation technology ensures that our armed forces remain at the forefront of military innovation, ready to tackle emerging threats and defend our nation's interests.

PrSM’s enhanced capabilities are critical to the successful execution of fires for the U.S. Army.

In an increasingly complex and unpredictable global security landscape, PrSM offers a powerful and adaptable response to evolving threats. By leveraging advanced technologies, our team at Lockheed Martin is committed to delivering cutting-edge, 21^st Century Security® solutions that keep our nation secure.

The development and success of the PrSM is a testament to the power of international partnership and collaboration. By working closely with our allies and partners, we can pool resources, expertise and knowledge to create a stronger, more resilient defense network capable of addressing the challenges of the 21st century.

 

 

Secure skies, secure mission: Lockheed Martin’s state-of-the-art C-UAS solution safeguards against aerial threats in a rapidly changing environment.

As the threat of small drones and swarm attacks grows, Lockheed Martin is delivering a flexible, AI-driven solution to detect, track and defeat UAS. A recent demonstration proved its ability to handle both single threats and coordinated drone swarms—setting the stage for rapid deployment.

What Sets It Apart:

• Modular, Open Architecture: Designed for seamless integration with existing Army systems, this approach enables rapid upgrades by incorporating best-in-class sensors, effectors and command-and-control (C2) enhancements.
• AI-Driven Detection & Response: Advanced algorithms, trained on real-world scenarios, provide faster and more accurate tracking, giving operators a tactical edge in identifying and neutralizing threats.
• Rapid Scalability: The system adapts quickly to evolving threats and easily collaborates with partner technologies to ensure continued effectiveness in dynamic combat environments.
• Proven Performance: In a recent field event, Lockheed Martin successfully detected, tracked and mitigated various small UAS threats, including coordinated drone swarms.

With only minutes to react to a drone attack, a layered defense approach is essential. Lockheed Martin's AI-enabled solution ensures that Army forces can rapidly detect and respond to UAS threats, protecting soldiers, equipment and critical infrastructure in a rapidly evolving battlespace. By leveraging our expertise in systems integration, AI and cybersecurity, we're committed to helping the Army stay ahead of emerging threats and maintain its operational advantage.

 

Lockheed Martin will soon begin production of the Common Sensor Electronics Unit (CSEU) to mitigate processor obsolescence for the Apache Targeting and Pilotage sensors. This processor, designed to mitigate obsolescence, will also provide the processing power to enable future functionality. Our team has been working on AI initiatives that can be implemented on the Apache, providing significant capabilities aimed at reducing pilot workload and optimizing performance in the most difficult conditions, such as degraded visual environments. These technologies will extend the aircrew's ability to identify targets—airborne, ground and maritime—faster and with greater accuracy, and will be valuable for Large Scale Combat Operations. We're proud to be at the forefront of this innovation. By investing in AI and conducting research to integrate aided target detection and recognition capabilities onto the Apache platform, our goal is to increase Apache aircrews' lethality and survivability while mitigating the risks encountered during every Apache mission.
 

Apache Fire Control sensors provide aircrews with heightened situational awareness and greater survivability rates.

These efforts highlight our commitment to keeping the U.S. Army ahead of ever-advancing threats to provide Apache aircrews with cutting-edge technology that enhances their operational effectiveness. As we continue to advance this technology, we are excited about its potential to contribute to the collective goal of enabling Large Scale Combat Operations. Through collaboration with our U.S. Army customers and strategic investments in AI innovation, we are developing the cutting-edge tools that will enable Apache aircrews to stay ahead of emerging threats and maintain their competitive edge.

 

In 2022, Lockheed Martin further integrated the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor into the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Weapon System with FTT-21 – a successful flight test held at White Sands Missile Range.
 

THAAD MSE Integration (TMI) adds critical layered missile defense capability.

FTT-21 demonstrated the capability to intercept an incoming missile threat with a PAC-3 MSE organically within the THAAD Weapon System. Integrating lower tier PAC-3 missile defense into the THAAD upper tier missile defense system without the need to co-locate THAAD and Patriot weapon systems means a significant reduction in logistics and ground equipment needed for the warfighter.

The integration results in a more tightly integrated, layered missile defense system, providing critical multi-tier missile defense capability to defeat current and emerging threats, and is another Lockheed Martin contribution to joint all-domain operations. The proven capability enhances 21^st Century Security, giving the warfighter more options with existing equipment so they can choose the best interceptor for any threat they face.

The THAAD Weapon System has demonstrated a perfect flight test record of 17 for 17 intercepts. Sixteen of those intercepts were with a THAAD interceptor. THAAD’s flight test success rate and combat-proven status continue to drive interest from around the world. PAC-3 MSE is proven against a variety of threats including cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and hypersonics. Warfighters have counted on THAAD and PAC-3 MSE to defeat missile threats, both in flight tests and combat scenarios.