Two General Atomics Avenger drones relayed passively captured air threat fused data to a ground-based command center for the first time, the company has revealed.
The Avengers’ Legion infrared search and track software blended the data of nearby fast-moving aircraft in real-time during a two-hour flight to stream it to the ground station.
Boosts Situational Awareness in Joint-Ops
Director of Sensors and Global Sustainment Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin, Scott Roberson, confirmed the importance of the historic occasion.
“It’s a big step in developing a common operating picture that boosts situational awareness across domains in joint operations,” he said.
On Other Platforms
The Lockheed Martin Legion Pod infrared search and track system detects and tracks air-to-air targets, even in radar-denied environments.
The fusion technology’s ability to take in multiple sensor sources will help connect multiple pods on manned and unmanned platforms.
The technology was earlier used on the F-15 during last year’s Northern Edge operational exercise, and the manufacturer is also planning to integrate it with F-16s.