WASHINGTON — About three years in the past, in response to the rising convergence of our on-line world and electromagnetic spectrum operations inside the navy, Lockheed Martin underwent an inside reorganization to regulate to the brand new calls for.
The consequence was a brand new spectrum convergence enterprise, which got down to break down the boundaries between comparable applied sciences linking intelligence, digital warfare and cyber techniques collectively.
Vp of spectrum convergence, Deon Viergutz addressed how the enterprise has been performing and a few latest progress the corporate has made since its inception.
The next transcript has been evenly edited for readability.
How has the spectrum convergence enterprise grown over the past 12 months or so?
Spectrum convergence is continuous to develop and broaden to assist clients within the electromagnetic battlespace. We see that outlook persevering with with important cyber digital warfare (CEW) market progress due to our buyer’s excessive ops tempo and the excessive mission demand for our merchandise and capabilities to assist joint, all-domain missions.
Latest awards for Superior Off-Board Digital Warfare (AOEW) low-rate preliminary manufacturing and Multi-Practical Digital Warfare Air Massive (MFEW-AL) current new progress alternatives. Concurrently, we’ve got continued to maintain and have fun important contract accomplishments in maritime EW with the Floor Digital Warfare Enchancment Program (SEWIP) a centesimal supply and continued deliveries of the Submarine BLQ 10 system and award of the assorted airborne digital warfare contracts together with CRH, B2, MH 60R. We additionally ship important merchandise and capabilities within the categorised area
How has the covid pandemic affected enterprise?
There have been important challenges in the course of the pandemic and we, as with many corporations, have needed to modify our office to make sure the protection of our workers.
This group has responded to those challenges remarkably. We have been in a position to innovate our manner by this pandemic, studying new methods to function and improve our effectivity and effectiveness for participating with our clients, workers and provide chain. Each ingredient of our enterprise has remodeled to the brand new Regular.
There was no slowdown in work, whereas assembly our buyer commitments and enabling the warfighter with distinctive CEW unmatched capabilities on the battlefield.
What new or growing inside analysis efforts are underway?
We’re consistently investing in superior state-of-the-art applied sciences to leverage our 50-year heritage of CEW experience to higher deal with near-peer threats within the electromagnetic spectrum. These investments vary from superior miniaturized RF electronics, 3-D additive manufacturing RF antennas, Modular Open Programs Structure (MOSA) based mostly techniques, to synthetic intelligence and machine studying.
Now we have embraced an agile supply mannequin that has enabled us to innovate on the pace of necessity and transfer a lot sooner as an organization to satisfy the calls for of our clients.
How do you see cyber and electromagnetic spectrum operations persevering with and progressing to converge on the battlefield?
Over the past three many years, our near-peer adversaries have discovered from the U.S. the right way to exploit the electromagnetic spectrum and made important strides in closing the expertise hole. Cyber and digital warfare capabilities will proceed to be crucial instruments for U.S. and its allies’ commanders to make sure freedom of maneuver within the battlefield in opposition to evolving threats.
We imagine CEW operations can be proliferated throughout the DoD and joint forces, turning into built-in into their Idea of Operations for the longer term combat. The electromagnetic spectrum is a bodily battlespace for our warfighters, and it’s more and more paramount that we perceive it and bolster our potential to function, personal, dominate, and defend in opposition to adversaries.
As a part of our twenty first Century Warfare imaginative and prescient, we’re leveraging rising applied sciences to proceed to develop within the all-domain surroundings, all the things from electromagnetic spectrum defensive instruments, battlespace consciousness, command and management throughout spectrum, to long-range effectors and sensors.
As we glance forward, there can be sustained necessities for techniques to have the ability to conduct a number of missions whereas delivering quite a lot of results in partnership with our allies.
The place are you by way of MFEW Air Massive?
We’re enthusiastic about this system. MFEW-AL will not be solely the Military’s longest-range effector but in addition the primary Military program of document to evolve to the DoD C5ISR/EW Modular Open Suite of Requirements (CMOSS) and Sensor Open System Structure (SOSA) requirements. Earlier this 12 months, MFEW-AL carried out extraordinarily effectively in the course of the US Military’s Experimental Demonstration Gateway Train (EDGE) 21 occasions, necessary in validating efficiency and functionality.
At the moment, we’re persevering with to progress with the RDT&E part of this system. Continued RDT&E funding was within the President’s Funds Request for FY 22. We look ahead to receiving that funding to proceed our demonstrations validating the long-range sensing, Digital Warfare Assist (ES) & Digital Assault (EA) capabilities of this one-of-a-kind functionality. Particularly, we’re working in direction of two main capstone occasions within the first half of subsequent 12 months. These occasions will validate the efficiency of the MFEW-AL part two techniques in opposition to operational necessities.
Close to time period, the group is getting ready to assist flight experiments this fall in the course of the upcoming Mission Convergence 21 and Place, Navigation, and Timing Evaluation Train (PNTAX) occasions. Our goal for every is to point out how the MFEW-AL techniques can assist crucial U.S. Military missions in operational, tactical environments.
What are among the main developments and themes you’ve observed inside the final two years because it applies to our on-line world and electromagnetic spectrum convergence?
There have been a number of developments and developments within the electromagnetic spectrum area over latest years, together with expertise development enabling dimension, weight and energy – cooling (SWAP-C) discount in addition to synthetic intelligence (AI) and machine studying (ML), market shifts and rising demand for CEW capabilities to assist joint, all-domain warfighting.
There may be the continuous want to scale back the SWAP-C of RF electronics and the will to allow as a lot functionality as attainable in a smaller footprint. Know-how is now out there to assist these SWAP-C reductions and ship elevated efficiency at a decrease price.
One other main development could be the elevated use of AI/ML capabilities to allow “Cognitive Electronics Warfare” the place techniques can course of huge quantities of knowledge to help operators in more and more advanced and congested electromagnetic battlefields.
Lastly, there’s the idea of an Open Programs Structure—guaranteeing we’re constructing techniques which are avoiding vendor lock and enabling fewer and fewer proprietary techniques. That is an space the place Spectrum Convergence is main the best way with techniques like MFEW, AOEW, BLQ-10 and SEWIP being compliant with SOSA and CMOSS open system requirements. That is key for enabling quick CEW method growth and deployment; interoperability of {hardware} and software program throughout airborne and floor platforms; immediate insertion of latest {hardware} expertise; and important discount of whole possession prices. In the end this ends in techniques in a position to quickly adapt to a constantly evolving menace that optimizes assist for warfighters.
Mark Pomerleau is a reporter for C4ISRNET, protecting data warfare and our on-line world.