Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works has teamed up with drone swarm developer XTEND to create an integration that will revolutionize the world of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The partnership brings together Lockheed Martin's MDCX autonomy system, which enables a single operator to control diverse UAS across multiple domains, with XTEND's XOS operating system.
According to Michael Godknect, Software Engineering Senior Manager at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, the setup "bridges the gap between the larger and smaller classes of UAS." This means that one operator can now seamlessly switch between controlling a range of drones, from large carriers to small quadcopters. In a demonstration in November, an operator piloted a carrier drone that launched a small drone, then flew the small drone from the same control unit.
The partnership has significant implications for military operations and beyond. With XOS, small drones can be controlled remotely and precision-guided, making them ideal for missions such as delivering squadrons of attack drones to remote locations. The system also enables unmanned carrier aircraft to transport smaller drones into enemy territory.
Latency is a major challenge in drone control, but XTEND's XOS software addresses this issue by piloting the drone itself. This means that even unskilled operators can hit fast-evading targets. Moreover, XOS changes the game for defense systems, enabling them to quickly respond to changing situations and identify threats.
The partnership also highlights the importance of smart hardware and software integration in the development of UAS capabilities. As seen in Ukraine, drone carriers have been used extensively, but without reliable control software, these systems remain cumbersome work-arounds requiring multiple control systems.
XTEND's modular architecture is a game-changer for this field. By integrating different components and building block capabilities, such as judging movement from motion, the system can be easily upgraded or modified to tackle new missions and applications.
One notable example is China's new Jiu Tian drone carrier mothership, which can carry 100 small drones. With the right software integration, this would enable an aircraft carrying dozens of smaller interceptors to take out far more Shahed drones at a fraction of the cost, revolutionizing air defense capabilities.
The partnership also marks a significant step forward in bringing drones into the AI era. XOS and MDCX are designed to be flexible, modular architectures that can incorporate new capabilities as they emerge. This means that mission planning systems will benefit from AI-driven insights, enabling faster and more efficient decision-making.
As SpaceX CEO Elon Musk recently highlighted, the future of UAS is all about swarms of small drones. With XTEND's XOS software integrated into Lockheed Martin's MDCX autonomy system, this vision becomes a reality.
According to Michael Godknect, Software Engineering Senior Manager at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, the setup "bridges the gap between the larger and smaller classes of UAS." This means that one operator can now seamlessly switch between controlling a range of drones, from large carriers to small quadcopters. In a demonstration in November, an operator piloted a carrier drone that launched a small drone, then flew the small drone from the same control unit.
The partnership has significant implications for military operations and beyond. With XOS, small drones can be controlled remotely and precision-guided, making them ideal for missions such as delivering squadrons of attack drones to remote locations. The system also enables unmanned carrier aircraft to transport smaller drones into enemy territory.
Latency is a major challenge in drone control, but XTEND's XOS software addresses this issue by piloting the drone itself. This means that even unskilled operators can hit fast-evading targets. Moreover, XOS changes the game for defense systems, enabling them to quickly respond to changing situations and identify threats.
The partnership also highlights the importance of smart hardware and software integration in the development of UAS capabilities. As seen in Ukraine, drone carriers have been used extensively, but without reliable control software, these systems remain cumbersome work-arounds requiring multiple control systems.
XTEND's modular architecture is a game-changer for this field. By integrating different components and building block capabilities, such as judging movement from motion, the system can be easily upgraded or modified to tackle new missions and applications.
One notable example is China's new Jiu Tian drone carrier mothership, which can carry 100 small drones. With the right software integration, this would enable an aircraft carrying dozens of smaller interceptors to take out far more Shahed drones at a fraction of the cost, revolutionizing air defense capabilities.
The partnership also marks a significant step forward in bringing drones into the AI era. XOS and MDCX are designed to be flexible, modular architectures that can incorporate new capabilities as they emerge. This means that mission planning systems will benefit from AI-driven insights, enabling faster and more efficient decision-making.
As SpaceX CEO Elon Musk recently highlighted, the future of UAS is all about swarms of small drones. With XTEND's XOS software integrated into Lockheed Martin's MDCX autonomy system, this vision becomes a reality.
This drone tech is like voting for both parties - it brings them together. You got your military ops getting a boost with precision-guided drones and smart defense systems 
. But let's not forget about the commercial side - think delivery drones becoming a norm 
. The question remains, will this tech be controlled by big corporations or governments? Imagine Google's self-driving drone taxis vs. the government implementing strict regulations 
. And what about China's involvement in the Jiu Tian mothership? Are we seeing an AI arms race 
? It's like looking at the 2024 election - who's gonna be in charge of this future of UAS? 
This drone tech is getting insane fast. I was thinking it'd be 10-15 years before we see something like this, but I guess the private companies are pushing the boundaries now 
. The idea of swarms of small drones taking out enemy targets sounds pretty cool, but also kinda scary? 
. I mean, we're talking about swarms of tiny drones, some of which might get shot down or crash-landed in the first place. And then there's the whole AI-powered decision-making thing – haven't we been warned about those kinds of systems before? Like, remember that movie The Terminator? 
I mean, just imagine having one operator control all sorts of drones, from big to small, and they can just switch seamlessly between them? That's some crazy cool stuff right there 
And the fact that XOS software is tackling latency issues means unskilled operators can hit targets on the fly too - which is a major pro 
Plus, integrating smart hardware and software makes it way easier to upgrade or modify these systems for new missions... it's like having Lego blocks for drones 
China's Jiu Tian drone carrier mothership is another example of what this tech can do - just imagine the air defense capabilities with all those smaller interceptors taking out Shahed drones at a fraction of the cost 
This partnership also feels like we're one step closer to making swarms of small drones a reality, which I think is going to be huge for the future of UAS 
I mean, it's crazy to think about how far we've come since those early days of quadcopters and remote-controlled planes in high school gym class. Remember when we thought those were the coolest things ever? Fast forward to now, and drones are being used for military operations, search and rescue, and even just delivering packages 
. Anyway, I guess that's just the future we'll have to get used to 
That would be so cool for defense systems and military operations. And think about all the other applications - search and rescue, surveillance... the list goes on 
. I'm loving how modular and upgradable the system is too, just imagine being able to swap out components like they do with smartphones 
. The possibilities are endless! 
I think this partnership between Lockheed Martin and XTEND is a huge step forward in the development of unmanned aerial systems. With the ability to control diverse UAS across multiple domains, we're seeing a major shift towards more efficient and effective military operations. And let's not forget about the civilian applications - precision-guided drones could revolutionize everything from search and rescue to agriculture. It's exciting to think about what the future holds for these technologies 
They're also tackling the latency issue which is a major challenge in drone control, thanks to XTEND's XOS software 
. It's exciting to think about the potential for AI-driven insights in mission planning systems and swarms of small drones taking over air defense capabilities 
It's crazy how quickly this tech is advancing and becoming more 'intelligent'. We gotta consider the ethics of all this AI-powered swarming and its potential consequences on humanity... or are we just gonna wing it? 
imagine squadrons of attack drones being deployed like a coordinated dance move 
and with latency issues a thing of the past, anyone can hit those fast-evading targets 
and the future of air defense capabilities? 
. And the fact that these systems can be easily upgraded or modified to tackle new missions is super exciting.
and with this partnership, it's going to be way more efficient. 1 second latency is insane for drone control - that means unskilled pilots can actually hit fast-evading targets 
. And with AI-driven insights becoming more mainstream, this partnership feels like a major step forward for UAS capabilities 